60 YEARS OF SRI LANKAN CINEMA

TO COMMEMORATE 60 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

BETWEEN INDIA AND SRI LANKA

Synopsis

SAKMAN MALUWA – THE GARDEN/2003/Dir. Mrs. Sumitra Peiris - 21/07/08 – 6.30 p.m.

‘THE GARDEN’ depicts sensitively a marital relationship in which, a surface contentment masks the essential separateness of the partners. Tissa and Prema are also relatives and significantly differ in age. The Garden which is one of Tissa’s keen preoccupations is the setting of the drama to follow. Ranjan, Tissa’s younger brother arrive for a brief holiday from Russia where he is a medical student. Prema’s and Ranjan’s closeness to each other begins to disrupt the relationship between husband and wife. Meanwhile, a snake enters the garden and provides the startling climax to the film.

SUDU SEVANELI – SHADOWS OF WHITE/2002/Dir. Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne/113 m - 22/07/08-6.30 p.m.

Sri Lankans (then called Ceylon) revolted against the British Colonialists in 1848.This insurrection begun in The Central Hills by the Buddhist leaders, received blessings of the Buddhist Clergy. Quite a number of Buddhist Priests left their robes to join in the revolt. The film begins with the protagonist of our story, Sudu Banda, one among many of those who left their priesthood to wage war against the colonial rulers, prepares himself to return to his native Village in the hills, not only because they feared the British suppression but also because they suspected that they will be killed by the dreaded, treacherous village leaders who were appointed by the British would make use of the situation to settle their own personal scores against their own village men.

SOORIYA ARANA/2004/Dir. Somaratne Dissanayake/col/105 m - 23/07/08 - 6.30 p.m.

Sediris, a hunter in a remote village accompany his 10 year old son Tikira, on hunting in order to teach him the trade. Other villagers do not enter the forest as Sediris has scared them with false rumours of ghosts. Sudden appearance of a monk with a young disciple becomes a threat for Sediris. Various attempts by him to remove the monks fail. Meanwhile, the secret friendship developed between two boys turns into a strong bond, challenging the adults. Inspired by the little monk, Tikira gradually learns to love animals instead of killing. Villagers begin to accept the monks despite the threats by Sediris. One day while fleeing away from the villagers Sediris accidentally ran onto one of his own guntraps and loses a limb. Helpless with six children and two wives, Sediris is surprised to see the monk he hated is there to help them. The bond between two boys becomes inseparable, and Tikira takes a drastic change of life.

THEERTHA YATHRA/2000/Dir. Vasantha Obeyesekere/col/103 m – 24/07/08/6.15 p.m.

Meneka is the adopted child of Grace and Suriya Bandara but she was unaware of it. Suriya Bandara is a wealthy aristrocrat and a leading human rights lawyer. Meneka is loved and adored by her adopted parents. Meneka designs costumes and runs a fashionable dress design centre with her friend Dilu. They are both currently involved in a stage play scheduled to open shortly. Maneka is engaged to be married to a young bank official, Kusal, a close relative of her parents. As things stand she has a happy uncomplicated life. Suddenly an unexpected event shatters her peaceful and complacent existence. Meneka discovers to her shock and horror that she is an adopted child and that her biological parents are living in a remote village in abject poverty. From that moment she is haunted by the feeling that everything she once thought is not really hers. Suriya Bandara, Grace, the mansion, the car all cease to be a part of her life. It is as if her old self, her former persona has died an inner death, Who am I? Who are my parents? Is my whole life a lie? A mirage? These questions obsess her.

GAMPERALIYA/1963/Dir. James Lester Peries/110 m – 24/07/08 – 8 p.m.

Best Film Ranamayura ‘Golden Peacock’ Award at New Delhi IFF. Realism entered Sri Lankan Cinema with Gamperaliya as it did in Sinhala literature when the novel was first published in 1943. Gamperaliya is widely considered the work that introduced cinema as a serious art form to Sri Lankan film goers. Lester James Perris’ pioneering effort to capture on film the texure of life of the people of the year, receiving a Diploma at the London Film Festival. This film also was selected as the best film of the first 50 years of Sri Lankan cinema.

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA, NEW DELHI

&

INDO CINE APPRECIATION FOUNDATION

Cordially invite you for the

SLOVENIAN FILM FESTIVAL

14/07/08 – 17/07/08

Synopsis

GONE WITH THE TRAIN /Ekspres Ekspres Dir:Igor Sterk 1996/76min/feature 14July2008 6.15 pm

Plot : A young restless man boards a train with no destination in mind. In one of the compartments he meets with a girl. Words are not exchanged but their laundry washing are and from there we are taken on a ride with other peculiar characters and situations. Awards:7 wins & 1 nomination

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN YOU GET OUT OF HERE - Dir:Saso Podgorsek 2005 / 55min /short - 14^th July 2008 8.00 pm

Plot : The story is set after some unspecified global disaster, the survivors of which dwell underground in what looks like a cavernous old factory (it’s actually the old steelworks in the central Slovenian town of Trbovjle, previously best known as Laibach’s home town). The story is primarily told via movement within space, but there is a surprising amount of dialogue which is subterranean.

LJUBJANA - Director:Igor Sterk - 2002 / 71 min / feature - 15 July 2008 6.15 pm

Plot: Having left Yugoslavian socialism far behind, the Slovenes find themselves catapulted through a social upheaval, with European Union the gateway to an exciting but scary future as part of the global village/market. Many individuals inevitably struggle to adapt. A story about a group of young Slovenians living in Ljubljana, in post communist Slovenia. Sterk tracks five people in their early 20s, with medical student Mare (Grega Zorc) representing the drama’s nominal centre. Mare (Grega Zorc), a pudgy twenty something still living at home and unsatisfied with his career path as a medical student. Romantically frustrated, he finds solace in the E-fuelled nightclub scene developing in the city - but is this an answer to his problems, or merely a temporary escape? Awards:1 win & 1 nomination

LABOUR EQUALS FREEDOM/Delo osvobaja 2004/71’/short Dir:Damjan Kozole 15 July 2008 8.00 pm

Plot: Peter is in his early forties and until recently he worked in a factory, but after Slovenia’s integration into the European Union, the factory closed down and Peter and his colleagues have been made redundant. Slowly but surely, he is losing self-confidence and self-esteem. His wife Vera is actually seeing another man and their marriage soon falls apart. Almost overnight Peter remains alone, as Vera moves out and takes Sonja, their daughter, with her. In a moment of despair, Peter decides to hang himself. He takes a rope and when the rope is tightening around his neck a doorbell rings. By mere coincidence a neighbour, who just wanted to borrow some coffee, saves his life. One day, on his way home, he finds all his neighbours, scared and worried, in front of the house. He learns that gas has been leaking in the cellar. Fire fighters should have arrived already, but they got stuck in a traffic jam. Peter does not hesitate; he runs into the building and manages to shut down the main valve not knowing that this will change his life… Awards:10 wins

THE RUINS /Rusevine - Dir :Janez Burger - 2003 / colour / feature - 16 July 2008 6.15 pm

Plot : Herman (Darko Rundek), a respected middle-aged stage director preparing a previously unknown work by an old Icelandic master, to be played in an open-air theater at dawn. In the cast are the director’s old friends, close buddy Gregor (Matjaz Tribuson) and Her-man’s live-in companion Zana (Natasa Matjasec), a famous actress he’s never worked with. There is also Gregor’s sexy ex-mistress, much to the distress of his jealous wife Ema (Natasa Burger). Herman’s clever idea seems to be to explore real-life tensions between his actors. The film drops viewers into the emotional world of stage performers, who live in musty old hotels and never stop thrashing out the difference between “true emotion” and theatrical posing.

BENEATH HER WINDOW / Pod njenim oknom - Dir:Metod Pevec - 2003/91’/ feature - 16July 2008 8.00 pm

Plot : Dusha is a young dancer and dance instructor. Torn between a dominant mother, an absent father and a married lover, she is sinking into a typical crisis of the thirties, which gets worse when she starts suspecting that someone has been following her and invading her privacy. She grows increasingly lonesome and exhausted. Even more so, as she realises that her relationship with her married lover has no future. Eventually, Dusha matures and makes a decision - she leaves her negligent lover, as male emotions are too unreliable. Awards:8 wins & 1 nomination

GRAVEHOPPING / Odgrobadogroba Dir:Jan Cvitkovic 2005/colour /103’/feature 17July 2008 6.15 pm

Plot Pero is a professional funeral speaker in a small Slovenian town. His unique gift is to make every funeral that extra bit special. Pero just can’t help turning his eulogies into witty personal confessions that bring the grieving crowd to tears for all the wrong reasons. At home Pero is busy trying to intercept his father’s frequent but hopelessly inept suicide attempts. Meanwhile he also seeks to win the heart of local girl Renata, who bears secrets beneath her innocent blonde curls. In all his daily fortunes and misfortunes Pero is assisted by his devote friend and fan Shooki. Awards:7 wins & 2 nominations

FREE SPIRITED FRIENDS - Dir : Sonja Prosenc - colour /short - 17 July 8.00 pm

The protagonist has to transport a body of a young woman. On the way from the hospital to her home the corpse comes to life. The protagonist accepts this fact as a task to present the world to this newborn creature. He goes about his task by presenting her with his own little universe.