Internationally acclaimed young filmmaker Sathyajith Maitipe’s maiden cinematic venture which was in a limbo for nearly a decade even after winning awards at various film festivals is finally to be released in the CEL circuit cinemas.
Having obtained the green light from the Public Performance Board the film would be screened following the screening of Asoka Handagama’s latest movie ‘Vidhu’.
“I am glad that finally the public will have the opportunity to see my film,” director Sathyajith said. When queried about the ordeal he had to undergo to take his film to the audience the determined filmmaker said that he would not want to comment on anything but said his film would speak on his behalf.“Let my film and those who see it speak,” he said.
The delay of release was due to continued refusal by several censor boards stating that it was unsuitable to be seen by the Sri Lankan audience.
Prior to presenting for performance approval it was displated at a large number of festivals it was awarded the special prize for the Best Fiction Film at the Honolulu International Film festival 2005 in Hawaii, United States of America in addition to the prestigious Smithsonian institute of USA which selected Bora Diya Pokuna for their Discoveries- 2004 Programme as one of the six most exciting, entertaining and original films from Asia. Earlier it also won the “Tiger Award’s nomination” for the most promising new directors at the Rotterdam International film festival- 2004, in the Netherlands.
“Bora Diya Pokuna” represented Sri Lanka at Vancouver (Canada), Seattle (USA) and Brisbane (Australia) international Film festivals and was hailed by the critics as “At once a modern-day Buddhist parable, a deliciously juicy melodrama and an astonishingly frank depiction of sexual obsession”.
The film revolves around three rural garment factory girls a pampered prima-donna- Mangala, a safe runner- Swineetha and a tormented vixen (Gothami) who go through trials and tribulations of their bitter sweet youth in a liberalized industrial zone in the city.
|
Sathyajith |
Main roles in Bora Diya Pokuna are played by Kaushalya Fernando, Dilani Abeywardena, Dhaminda De Silva, Irangani Serasinghe, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake and Veena Jayakody. The cast boasts of many actors and actresses including, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, Veena Jayakody, Priyanka Samaraweera, Chandani Seneviratne, Chandra Kaluarachchi, Leoni Kothalawela, Rohitha Karunaratne and child actress Pramudi Karunaratne.
Among the technical crew, filming is done by Palitha Perera who won the Sumathi awards for camera on two occasions and this is his first attempt in the silver screen. Ravindra Guruge is the editor and the music director is Pradeep Ratnayake. Art director is Suneth Nandalal and G. Shivagurunadan, Ashoka Ariyaratne and Thilina Weerasinghe assisted in production. |