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| Saturday, 8 September 2001 |
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Handagama Pursuing an alternative film culture “My ambition is to encourage youth with cinematic ambition and ability to make their own celluloid creations,” says award winning film director Asoka Handagama who is pursuing what he calls an “alternative” cinema culture.
Handagama was very confident that an alternative film culture could take root in Sri Lanka. “The fear in the minds of prospective film-makers should be taken away for that to happen,” he points out. “I want to boost the confidence of creative youth to make their own films and show it to a limited crowd so that they can cover the production cost. This will definitely help the local film industry,” Handagama says. According to Handagama, the alternative film culture is very different from the mainstream Hollywood genre which caters to a larger audience with a massive production cost. Although film an expression of artistic creativity, there are various ways of expressing oneself. The alternative film genre is highly suitable for countries like Sri Lanka where artistes cannot bear huge production costs, he explains. “I want to veer away from mainstream films,” says Handagama adding that he made “This is My Moon” as an experiment. Nevertheless, the film has already gained international recognition by representing Sri Lanka at more than 15 film festivals and having received invitations for another 12. The film was also shown at the London Film Festival 2000 in the experimental film category. Handagama normally spends nearly three weeks to shoot a film. “I have only 20 days shooting schedules.” Apart from creating an alternative film culture, Handagama follows an alternative film releasing strategy to show his film.” The film is screened in a selected city for a day and then goes to another.By doing so, I hope to create a group of alternative film lovers.” Asked about the message to society through his films, Handagama says,” there is no specific message in my films but they influence people to enter into a dialogue on the contemporary issues concerning political and economic.This helps to broaden social vision.” Meanwhile, “ This is My Moon “ has received invitation to a number of international film festivals to be held soon. Amongst them are; the Tokyo Film Festival, Bangkok, Torino in Italy, Austria (Vienna) and Belgium (Flanders), France (Three Continental) and Norway(Oslo). ================================= “Sanda Ginigath Rathriya” soon on Rupavahini
The cast includes Janaka Kumbukge, Gamini Jayalath, Susantha Chandramali, Nilanthi Wijesinghe, Wijeratne Warakagoda etc. The script of the teledrama is also by Gihan Rohana while Sujeewa Paranahewa is the art director. It was produced by Dhammika Priyangani and Laksiri Nandasena. ================================= Int’l film festival at the ICES An award winning international film festival organised by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) will be held at the ICES Auditorium, Colombo 8 from September 9 - 15 at 5.30 pm. The international award winning films from Brazil, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Netherlands and Spain will be screened at this film festival. The schedule September 09 - Central Station (Brazil) a film by Walter
Salles, Passes could be obtained from the ICES. |
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Handagama
says his latest film “Me Mage Sandai” (This is My moon) falls into this category
under which less capital is needed to produce a film. “There is a good demand for
this kind of alternative film around the world. It does not put a huge burden profit-wise
on the director,” he told the Daily News. 
“Sanda
Ginigath Rathriya”, the first teledrama directed by Gihan Rohana will shortly be
telecast over Rupavahini. It focuses on the problems relating to married life.