CHENNAI: Horrific and gripping tales of the Sri Lanka Civil War (1983) and the tension that prevailed are aplenty. Following the troubled phase, several fled their war-torn homeland, taking back only memories of the place they lived in and sometimes of their loved ones. Sumathy Balaram (Karupy), a filmmaker-cum-short story writer, narrates one such story through her debut feature film — Niyoga, which is about Malarvizhi, a woman who flees to Canada with her family during the war. But, the film offers more than what meets the eye. Sumathy, who recently screened her film in the city, in a tête-à-tête shares more…
For Sumathy, who has written and directed six short films, venturing into feature films was taking a ‘leap of faith’. “I was born in Jaffna, but left Sri Lanka, and moved to Canada in 1989. So, I really didn’t have first person accounts about the war that happened there…but, for me every Sri Lankan-Canadian had a story to tell, especially the women and the aged parents,” shares the creator and the artistic director of the group, Uyirppu Progressive Tamil Women Artistic Organisation.In 2010, when Sumathy was on the verge of writing her next short story, she recalls meeting a woman from Sri Lanka who had migrated to Canada. Little did she know that this chance meeting would change her life! “Her suffering affected me a lot and I began writing my story. When friends read my draft, they were impressed and suggested that I make it into a film,” she narrates.
After contemplating the idea for a few months, Sumathy decided to direct the film, inspired by the ‘anonymous woman’ she had met. “Stories of war and what happened to the people have been told. But, what happened to the women who left the country without their respective spouses?” she says, pointing to Malar, the protagonist of the movie.Malar’s marriage to Ranjan, a journalist, only lasts for three days when unknown men abduct him. “The story of Malar is relatable to many Sri Lankan-Canadian women. Even after 20 years, your husband is missing...can you imagine waiting for him? And the cultural norms, Tamil family values and the societal conditioning doesn’t let these traditional families opt for a second marriage or even allow the woman to think of someone else as a partner. They live under the shadow of their parents and siblings,” sighs the filmmaker.
While the 75-minute movie takes the audience through the journey of Malar, her trials and tribulations and how things change radically in the end — a story line that empowers women, Sumathy says she has also received her share of brickbats for the movie. “When the film was screened in Indonesia, Los Angeles, Jaffna and Florida, I received positive reviews. But, there were some men who were angered by the plot and walked out, and there were a few women who felt bad the way a woman had been portrayed — someone who decided to break her handcuffs and live outside social norms!” she avers.
But, Sumathy takes criticism in her stride. “As a filmmaker, criticism makes me improve. I believe in narrating and conveying what I want and I cannot compromise my individuality,” she opines.
The film was shot in a humble 5D camera in 2014, with help from close friends and also from Sumathy’s personal savings. “It was challenging to shoot the movie. It’s clearly a low budget film and I am lucky to have had friends who decided to work for me free of cost. In fact, I only had to pay the technicians and for renting equipment,” she smiles.Though Sumathy says she appreciates people who came forward to help her, she admits that she’s bothered by the reason behind it — being a woman. “Personally, I feel the work I do and the content I produce should be appreciated without having my gender as a criterion.
I received comments during movie screenings where a few men said — ‘Being a woman, you have done a good job’ how should I take this? I think more women should come into this field and prove their spirit…a woman being in the film industry shouldn’t be a niche thing anymore!” she states. With reviews pouring in for Niyoga and a screening tour across Europe on the cards next year, Sumathy has already begun drafting the story for her next. “It’ll be a different story…but about the same issue. I am looking for funding for my next film. I hope people who have seen it will be responsive,” she adds.
For details, visit: http://www.sumathy.ca/