Screening of film on Sri Lanka war deferred

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, JULY 26. A coffin arrives at the home of an old man. He is told it contains the remains of his son, a soldier in the Sri Lankan Army who was killed in action. The distraught man refuses to believe his son is dead. The entire village wants him to accept the death because it has a vested interest in the compensation that is to be paid out to the bereaved family.

This is an everyday occurrence in rural Sri Lanka, and it has been poignantly brought out in an internationally acclaimed film ``Death on a Full Moon Day'', by a young Sri Lankan film maker, Mr. Prasanna Vithanage.

The film got the Grand Prix at Amiens last year, the Best Actor award at Singapore, and won critical praise in New Delhi.

It was set to open in cinemas here this Friday, but last week, the Government citing the current war, decided to ``defer'' the screening till the ``security situation improves''. The implication was that screening the film now could have an adverse impact on the Army's morale.

Perhaps, what worried the Government was the vital twist in the tale: the disbelieving father breaks open the coffin and finds two tree trunks and a large stone. At a private ``protest'' screening on Tuesday last, the director expressed disappointment with the Government's decision. ``My disappointment mostly extends to the fact that this film was written and made out of the real experiences of the people portrayed in the film - the people who are truly bearing the burdens of our nation, most of them with their lives. This film is their story and they have a right to see that it is heard and seen by all Sri Lankans.''

Mr. Vithanage said he believed the film made fair comment on some aspects of the conduct of the war, and argued that as Sri Lanka was a democracy, ``space'' had to be provided for such issues to be debated.

However, with the LTTE at the front door, and elections round the corner, the timing of the film could not have been more inconvenient for the Government.

According to Mr. Vithanage, the assurance that the film would be shown after the military situation improved, held little promise. ``We have been living with this war for almost two decades and I have my doubts about the security situation improving in any real sense. If this is the case, as long as the war lasts, my film might never be released in Sri Lanka.''

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Section  : International
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