By Lynne Gardiner Digital Cinema Report Mumbai Correspondent The Sri Lankan or Sinhalese film industry has lived in the shadows of its prolific Indian neighbor since the early days of filmmaking. A lack of high quality facilities restrictive legislation not to mention three decades of civil war have all been detrimental to its success. Today the industry remains closely regulated. Yet to its credit the country has some strong talent in the form of a handful of pre-war filmmakers as well as a sprinkling of talented new blood. Some are asking for change in order to put the industry on a footing that will allow it to reach its full potential. By the time the first proper cinema was built in the capital city of Colombo in 1903 open-air screenings of Indian films with their stylized song and dance routines were becoming already popular. Despite acquiring a taste for American films during the 1920s most Sri Lankans were completely seduced by the burgeoning Indian film industry and by the 1930s Indian titles dominated Sri Lankan screens. The first feature film to be made on the island was Rajakeeya Wickremaya (Royal Adventure) in 1925 but as luck would have it the film was never actually screened in the country as the reel was destroyed in a fire. Sinhalese films ie films made in the Sri Lankan Sinhalese language didn’t make an impact until 1947 with the release of Kadawunu Poronduwa (Broken Promise) directed by Jyotish Sinha and produced Chitra Kala Movietone. However the film was shot and produced in India and was criticized for taking the format of Indian productions. During the 1950s Sri Lanka became the location of choice for a string of wildlife documentary makers. Some Hollywood films including The Beachcomber and The Purple Plain both released in 1954 were also shot on the island. Yet Sinhalese productions struggled to meet acceptable technical standards and storylines continued to be taken from successful Indian productions. Many of the editors and technicians working on movies were actually from South India. However in 1956 Sri Lankan director Lester Peries released his first full-length film Rekava (Line of Destiny). This was seen by many to be the first attempt to break away from the influence of India introducing a more realistic way of acting into Sri Lankan cinemas. Although it received acclaim from outside the country it was not a financial success at the box office. Peries’ next film Gamperaliya (The Changing Village) released in 1965 was a different story not only finding box office success but also bringing him several international awards and establishing him as one of the most influential directors in Sinhalese filmmaking. It seemed that at last the mold had been broken and a pathway opened for a new era of serious artistic films. Yet the influences of Indian remained omnipresent and only a handful of Sri Lankan directors attempted to make artistic films post-Gamperaliya. Consequently in the early 1970s the Government began to provide funding for original homegrown films through the setting up of the National Film Corporation (following the State Film Corporation Act of 1971). Prior to this there was no regulatory body overseeing the film industry. Post 1971 the NFC became the sole film distributor. The Sri Lankan film industry was no longer wholly in the private sector. Locally made films that adhered to National Film Corporation (NFC) stipulations received funding and were guaranteed screen time. The initial response was good and as a result the number of seats taken in theatres rose. However in 1977 an easing of the funding rules attracted an influx of budding filmmakers – some talented but many not so talented. Consequently the market soon became saturated with low-quality movies waiting to be screened. Audiences began to dwindle and theatres began to close. When civil war broke out in 1983 the already struggling Sri Lankan film industry took another blow. Many people kept away from the theatres through fear of suicide bombers. It is little surprise that the country lost more of its theatres. Once again the outlook for the industry looked gloomy. Nonetheless a handful of Sinhalese filmmakers made movies during the war some focusing their storylines on the struggles of the people. Many have received success internationally for their work. Prasanna Vithanage's film Pura Handa Kaluwara (Death on a Full Moon Day) made in 1997 and Ira Madiyama (August Sun) 2005 received much acclaim and won awards abroad. Vimukthi Jayasundara's debut movie Sulanga Enu Pinisa (Forsaken Land) was granted the Camera d'Or for Best First Film in Cannes in 2005. A new wave of artistic films was born although some films featuring the war including Pura Handa Kaluwara were subjected to restrictions leaving directors feeling constrained and unable to express themselves freely. Asoka Handagama who received much praise for his film This Is My Moon (2000) winning awards in Singapore the US Japan India and Thailand as well as earning critical acclaim throughout Europe acknowledges that life as a filmmaker in Sri Lanka is still a battle today. “The domestic market is not encouraging for independent film directors as official and unofficial censorship are effective ” explains Handagama. “Family-oriented films are screened but anything with a more adult nature is not even considered by theatres and the Public Performance Board the official body to grant permission for public performances is not very generous when granting permission for films with such themes. Political cultural and sexual content are strictly under their supervision. This makes it almost impossible to recover the costs through domestic release.” In April 2001 the Government privatized the supply and distribution of cinematic films and established five film-exhibiting circuits with cinemas allocated to each. “By setting up the exhibition circuits the Government brought about a certain degree of relief for the industry at the time but it was only a minor gesture towards liberalization ” says Thushan Rangana Director and CEO of EAP Films & Theatres of Sri Lanka. EAP invests heavily in the Sri Lankan exhibition industry and has around 60 percent of the country’s cinema theatres on its circuit. It is also produces a large number of Sri Lankan films. Many believe that only a complete rethink of the NFC legislation and a lifting of its many rules will allow the industry to evolve freely and grow. “When the NFC was set up the country was economically isolated and its restrictive inward looking policies were mirrored in the NFC legislation ” explains Rangana. “All parts of the film industry in Sri Lanka - the filmmakers the distributors and the exhibitors - are ailing as they are having to operate under regulations that do not fully address their problems. There have been many Government-appointed bodies but they have either been unsuccessful in recommending solutions to assist the film industry or their recommendations have been ignored. “With the opening up of the Sri Lankan economy following the end of the civil war in 2009 the majority of the provisions of the SFC Act have ceased to have any relevance. In this light we need a complete overhaul of the system with new legislation.” Since the 1970s Sri Lanka has lost well over half of its theatres and the cinema-going public has dropped from around 70 million to a mere 7 million. Rangana would like to see more interaction with international film bodies to learn from their experiences in all areas of filmmaking and to undertake joint productions. He believes that encouraging such opportunities would help the industry and showcase the potential of Sri Lanka as a tourist destination and an investment hub. He would also like to see a lessening of the high taxes that dissuade international production companies from making films in Sri Lanka. “There is so much more we can do for example we could hold film competitions for students and offer training courses conducted by specialists using the latest techniques and technology. These activities would constitute a viable source of income for the regulatory body. Furthermore we could make film equipment available to hire at reasonable rates rather than filmmakers having to hire equipment at exorbitant rates as they do now from local companies or from India.” Handagama is also dissatisfied with training facilities in Sri Lanka. “Most contemporary filmmakers including me have learnt filmmaking through trial and error. A couple of newcomers have had opportunities to go and study in France South Korea and the US. There are a few workshops organized by private companies and these are good for sharing experiences and learning more.” Digital equipment has helped to make filmmaking possible particularly when working with a limited budget although here again Sri Lanka is badly set up to benefit from digitally shot and produced films. “Access to equipment such as the Canon Mark D series Red and the Sony Ex series have made filmmaking an achievable dream but the issue is projection ” explains Handagama. “Only three theatres in Sri Lanka have DCP projection so the money saved in production is off-set by having to transfer digitally-made movies to print 35 mm release prints. We are also seeing a drop-off in audiences because the cinemas are in need of upgrading {to DCP} and refurbishment to make them more attractive places to be.” For its part EAP has spent huge sums on renovating its theatres. Its Savoy Cinema in Colombo has a Sony 4K projector with 3D set up with a Datasat AP20 digital audio processor. Yet there is much still to be accomplished. EAP would also like to receive some help with the huge task of refurbishing needed and to develop multiplexes to help revitalize the public’s enthusiasm further to visit the theatres. Rangana believes the problems go even further: “It would be an enormous help if the current ban on dubbing and subtitling of films could be lifted. Although audiences in the large towns are fine with English Tamil and Hindi films people in rural areas speak only the local Sinhalese-based dialects. When the translation of films was allowed some years ago record numbers of people came to watch. No restrictions are imposed on the television industry regarding dubbing or sub-titling. Lifting the ban and abolishing the current quota system on film releases and foreign films would help the development of multiplexes. At the moment exhibitors don’t have enough choice over the films they can screen. The whole industry is struggling under a pile of red tape and tight restrictions ” concludes Rangana. “Fundamental changes are required.” Despite everything that has worked against the Sri Lankan film industry it is showing some signs of recovery if not growth. Handagama’s latest film Ini Avan (Him Hereafter) made in Tamil and Vithanage’s Oba Nethuwa Oba Ekka (With You Without You) which are both screening now at film festivals show the world that there is serious talent at work in Sri Lanka. As for the theatres family films and (of course) Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters find audiences in the large towns while Sinhalese films are more successful in the surviving theatres in rural locations. Tickets average around US$2. But for the new wave of artistic film directors the challenges of serious filmmaking in Sri Lanka remain in place. The long-term future of cinema and filmmaking on the whole depends on investment and change. For now the hope is that the current restrictions will be eased and the ball will roll for a new freer and more prosperous filmmaking industry in the country.
