29th  June,  2003  Volume 9, Issue 50

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Film lovers feast online

Websites on a number of subjects are created every minute of the day. However while accessing these websites we often find that what we require is not always available.

In order to acquire the information we need especially on dramas and films we have to keep logging in from one site to another. But today with the intention of making life easier for theatre, drama and film enthusiasts, two websites with comprehensive details have been created in Sri Lanka.

The man behind this informative idea is Thilina Alahakoon. The creation of the two websites by Alahakoon stems from a personal experience he had. As a man interested in drama and films, Alahakone like any other lover of the arts used to surf the net in order to gain more knowledge on the subject.

However to his utter disappointment Alahakone realised, there wasn't a comprehensive informative website that could be accessed which provided the information he required.

According to Alahakoon the theatre website was launched five months ago and the film website three months back.

These websites will contain children's dramas, Tamil dramas, puppetry, long and short dramas and ballad dramas. Alahakoon explained that nowhere in the world would you find a website consisting of such information. Access to photographs from the plays could also be obtained from the websites.  

"We have very good talent for dramas in Sri Lanka. But sadly not many people are interested in promoting such dramas and films locally. Once a good drama or film is shown it is put aside and forgotten" Alahakoon said.

According to Alahakoon good quality dramas and films once shown in the country should then be taken abroad for international viewing, and with the intention of developing communication between foreign countries.

Alahakoon went on to explain that in Sri Lanka there is no official website for information on films. What you get are only personal websites of artistes, directors and producers.

According to Alahakoon his website will provide information on the history of films and on the film halls in Sinhala and English medium. The main reason for the creation of this website is to create awareness among the public. However Alahakoon has also offered those knowledgeable in this subject to come forward and voluntarily contribute towards this website.

Known as the Free Artist Theatre Group, the team working on this website hope to give their viewers up to date info on www.fatat.net and www.filmhall.com

A writer with a purpose...

By Kumudu Amarasingham To read truly good prose is one of life's keenest plea-sures. To see a budding young writer in the first stages of her bloom - even more so. We are fortunate in this land to be blessed with a considerable amount of talent. Of these, 18 year old Sonalini Gunesekera is definitely someone who is bound to make her mark.

Her two works, Kadapatha and Music From Another Room form two of the most promising works in the recent past by a young writer in Sri Lanka. Kadapatha provides a unique and somewhat startling insight into the soul of a thinker, a philosopher, a child, an artist - her friend - and her country. It is a touching tale of friendship, vague yet paradoxically intense pride in one's heritage - and deep loss. It is, surprisingly for one so young, a frank and uninhibited gaze into the eyes of death. And sometimes that look is even amusing.

"How could a spirit return to sea and expect to feel at home in a completely different situation? What did their spirits look like? Did those who commit their remains to the sea grow fins after they died?"

If anything the verbosity and sometimes unnecessary complexity of the language takes away slightly from the depth of the work, but the essence of the thoughts and impressions remain.

As for the poetry, they are pleasing to the ear - as poetry was meant to be in early times. And it is easy to get carried away in most cases by their metrical accuracy and lilting rhythm alone. However the language is once again far more complex than need be, somewhat diminishing the pleasure one might have taken in the range and craftsmanship. Take for instance this verse from a poem titled Summer Hues:

"The welkin explodes with a fiery range,

Dewy plumes on harvest's face,

The hallowed forms and secret coves,

Embracing the cares of wetted shapes."

An enchanting scene in weighty and somewhat artificial language; well crafted but too heavy to be breathtaking. The appeal of many of the world's greatest works lies in their very simplicity. Take Wordsworth's Daffodils or even Shakespeare's sonnets: where is the complex language in the universally alluring Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? To have an extensive vocabulary is undoubtedly an asset. Yet like painting - it is not about displaying all the colours on one's palette - but rather about catching the right hues and blending them cleverly.

This does not however mean that there is a lack of depth or feeling. From the gross unfairness of Argemmemnon's sacrifice of his daughter Iphagenia on the predictions of the prophet Calchas to the sufferings of a soldier in the Second World war to the vicissitudes of daily life - Sonalini's sensitivity and powers of observation are keen.    

The substance is there. With a little brushing up this girl can definitely do great things with her writing.

The proceeds from the sale of the two books, which are available as a couplet, will go towards two charities - one for the children's ward of the cancer hospital and the other towards refurbishing rural libraries. The books are available at the Cargills outlet down Baybrook Street, Odel's and C.G Associates.

Wonders of a ballpoint pen

By Risidra Mendis

Who would ever think that a simple ballpoint pen used for jot-ting down notes could result in a beautiful painting? To many of us ballpoint pens of different colours mean only one thing - writing. However for Mangala Madanayake, an artist with an unusual talent, a coloured ballpoint pen is a way of expressing his feelings and ideas in the form of a picture.  

Using colours like red, blue, green, black and brown Madanayake creates paintings that are unique and close to nature. While blending and mixing these colours as would be expected by any painter, Madanayake creates pictures of an entirely different nature.  With over 14 years of experience in the field of art Madanayake claims he is the first individual to introduce this art to the country in 1994.

Even though this art requires a great amount of patience and time, to Madanayake this is the passion and love of his life. "When drawing with a ballpoint pen you cannot afford to make a mistake. Unlike in the case of a painting, when drawing lines it is difficult to correct a mistake without spoiling the picture" Madanayake said.    

In the past Madanayake's paintings were of scenaries and wildlife. However this year's exhibition Ballpoint Paintings 2003 will have a number of paintings of human figures, village life and the environment.

"During my past exhibitions there were many viewers who asked me why I don't include human figures in my creations. Therefore I thought this year I will introduce a new style to my paintings" Madanayake said.

Madanayake also studies ancient photos taken of historical places and then reproduces them in the form of a ballpoint painting. One such photo thus reproduced is that of the Galle town taken over 300 years ago.

According to Madanayake practice and experience is needed to master the art of ballpoint drawing. "However this art is now gradually spreading to schools and people in the country are slowly showing an interest towards this new form of drawing" Madanayake said.

Having won a national award for the creation of ballpoint painting, Madanayake feels there is a growing demand for this art. "I have interested buyers from USA, France, UK, Korea and Sri Lanka. Most of these buyers tell me they have not seen such art anywhere else in the world" Madanayake said.      

According to Madanayake there will be around 40 paintings at Ballpoint Paintings 2003 to be held from June 30 to July 5 at the Laksala outlet in Fort.

Josephians triumph

St. Joseph's College, Colombo 10 outperformed three schools to take home the Bard'sGold at the Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition. This came in consequence to the previous 11 schools they outshined at the semi-finals.

Competition at the finals was stiff with worthy opponents - Royal, Nalanda and St. Peter's taking the stage with them. But St. Joseph's excerpt from Julius Caesar (Act Iv Scene III) fast put them in the spotlight.

Their performance was enhanced by the efforts put into recreating the right atmosphere for the drama. Elegant period costumes, imaginative props, stage direction and of course sound and lighting, all combined to give the Joes the edge.

Rajiv Ponweera's performance as Brutus was indeed exceptional and proved to be the judges' favourite. He won the most prestigious award of the night, the 'Best Actor' award.

Adding more feathers to the Josephian cap, Leon Arendz also won the 'Best Supporting Actor' award for his role in the play as Cassius.

Praise and credit should also extend to every other participant who undertook their part with great responsibility.

This triumphant victory depicts the leading role St. Joseph's College has taken in the inter-school drama scene over the years.

Rector of St. Joseph's College, Rev. Fr. Victor Silva, conveys his appreciation to the direction given by Old Joe Jehan Aloysius. His creativity no doubt proved his talent in the field of drama.

Organised by the Rotary Club of Colombo and the Central YMCA and held at the BMICH, the growing popularity of this annual inter-school drama competition was evident in the number of schools vying for the trophy and the number of people who turned up to enjoy a night of classical drama.

Eagle honours  two artistes

Two eminent Sri Lankan personalities in the field of arts - Dr. Lester James Peries and Pandit W.D. Amaradewa - were honoured by Eagle Insurance Company recently. They were presented with the 'Eagle Award Of Excellence' at a glittering ceremony held during the annual Eagle Sales Convention at Hotel Tangerine.

Accepting the award, Dr. Peries said that he was grateful to Eagle Insurance for recognising his contribution to Sri Lankan cinema and would treasure the award. Touching on the theme of the Eagle Convention 'Prosperity Through Excellence,' he said that in cinema, excellence should be evaluated as artistic, serious, intelligent and something that will steal one's mind and heart. "But unfortunately in Sri Lanka, the opposite seems to be happening. Sinhala films which carry funny titles reap all the rewards. Excellence is evaluated at the box office. In my 50 years of working in the cinema, I have found the more excellent the work is, the less prosperous you become," he said.

Throwing in a word of advice, Dr. Peries said that every person in every walk of life must pursue the ideal of excellence. "Whatever you do, the ideal of excellence must be there to be pursued. Excellence is something spiritual and metaphysical and cannot be evaluated by anything else. It is a moral philosophy," he said.

Pandit Amaradewa confessed that his best creative effort is yet to come. "It has not happened yet. It will be born on a future date," he said. Quoting from the Dhammapada, he pointed out that if one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness would follow as one's shadow that never leaves.

Introducing the two award winners, Eagle's General Manager (personal lines) Deepal Sooriyachchi said that the presentation of these awards was yet another demonstration of Eagle's commitment to excellence. "We want to felicitate personalities who have always been committed and dedicated to excellence and professionalism, those from whom we can learn and be inspired," he said. After the citations were read, the awards were presented by Managing Director, Chandra Jayaratne.