In a rare feat, for the first time in the history of Sri Lankan cinema acclaimed actor and award winning playwright Athula Liyanage won two main awards at a single international film festival.
‘Bambara Walalla’ (Whirlwind) the directorial debut by Liyanage won the Remi award for the Best Director and Best Cinematographer at the 43rd World fest International Houston Film Festival after competing with 2400 films from 25 countries. Cinematographer Thishuladeepa Thambawita also won the award for the best cameraman. This is the first time that a Sri Lankan film won this Jury’s Special REMI award over the past cinema history also this was the first film which obtained two international awards during the festival.
‘Bambara walalla’, title borrowed from traditional Low Country dance item, is partly based on true events. The film released with the tagline ‘From loin cloth to jeans’ portrays the country’s transition from closed economy to market economy and social changes that took place thereby. The film discusses the tragic whirlwind that took place with the social changes and the change of attitude towards humanity and its values.
The protagonist in ‘Bambara Walalla’ is Podi Eka, an uneducated young man living with his mother and sister. His sister is raped by his step father and 17 year old Podi Eka kills him and spends 17 Years in prison.
Returning from the prison life he begins an extraordinary journey to survive in an environment full of evils. He desperately tries to start a new life.
Podi Eka meets (Mal) a man who keeps on counting the living and making coffins. He starts working for Mal, a man who turned almost a grave digger from a farmer. Yet being an uneducated young man Podi Eka finds it very hard to understand the society and Mals’ way of life. Suddenly Mal is killed and there is a void to fill the gap created by Mal and Podi Eka fills it.
The limited cast in ‘Bambara Walalla’ is played by a talented group of stars including Mahendra Perera Neeta Fernando, Sriyantha Mendis, Dhamitha Abeyratne, Jayalath Manorathne Bimal Jayakodi and Athula himself.
The film is co-produced by Nita Fernando, Channa Deshapriya, G. S. De Dhammika and Daminda Madawela.
Athula creates history with ‘Bambara Walalla’
‘Bambara Walalla’ is a result of an over 17 year dream to do a film while working in a different medium of art. Playing the different roles as the director, writer, actor and parallel producer Athula has proved the multitude of talents he possessed.
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| Athula at the set |
Born in Malabe, and educated at Christian Missionary School, Jayewardenepura, Kotte Athula entered University of Kelaniya for higher studies as an external student following Sociology, Mass Communication and Fine Art.
Athula’s first love was painting but at many a times his paintings were thrown out at competitions because he was giving priority to the emotions using limited colours. However many a time a few teachers who were on these juries and who desperately fought for Athula’s paintings encouraged him saying not to give up his ‘line of thought’.
Starting at the stage Athula made three stage plays ‘2100’ (short), ‘Yuda Weddha’ and ‘Marana Warna’ have won awards including Best Producer, Best Stage Light Arrangements, Best Stage Set and Best Make-up and Actor at the Youth Drama Festival and the State Drama Festival.
‘My Guru in cinema was the late filmmaker Shelton Payagala, who had a wide knowledge specially on 1950s cinema which presented some of the greatest cinematic creations,’ says Athula describing his
‘I liked acting but studied everything in cinema’ said Athula when asked how he managed to excel at several areas in cinema. ‘This was a question raised by some of the other directors whom I met at Houston. They were very academic and were specialized in limited areas of cinema. Having not academy and a place to study itself is an advantage for us those who struggle to learn the art of cinema in Sri Lanka’, he explained.
With no previous experience working in film as an assistant director or short film, Athula has handled the cinema technology to the rule, his film grammar and presentation was highly acclaimed at the festival.
‘What I believe is that life is always bigger than the cinema. Life is first and the cinema is second. There is no art without life’ says Athula speaking about art and cinema.
Asked about the difficulties in promoting arty films Athula says ‘cinema is an industry today. We cannot take it as fully an art. We have forgotten this fact. During the festival I attended eight seminars on cinema and seven of them were about cinema as an industry. Only one seminar focused on cinema as an art’
‘My film is not over. It’s over when I successfully market this and attract an audience.
We have made several marketing strategies to do this and I am grateful to Mr. P. A. Kiriwandeniya, Chairman Sanasa Development Bank who has agreed to support me’, Athula said. |
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