KOCHI: Uncertainties, looming famine and political turmoil continue to haunt the Sri Lankan film industry. However, even amidst growing unrest and chaos, a few from the industry are making waves in the international film circuit.
Sri Lankan filmmaker Aruna Jayawardana’s Maariaya: The Ocean Angel, the only Srilankan movie to be featured in the 27th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), has already made a mark in the hearts of film enthusiasts across the globe.
The movie tells the story of a group of fishermen in the mid seas and what happens after they find something mysterious floating in the waters. It happens to be a sex doll. “It’s one of the most challenging projects in my career. The shooting was in the middle of the pandemic and the political unrest in our country. We had to stay in a trawler for 22 days to shoot the film. Nor do we have any studios in Sri Lanka and the film industry is facing total negligence from the government,” says Jayawardana.
The basis of the movie is some real events in Srilanka. “I came across a news a few years back about a fishermen’s group getting a sex doll. It took three months to complete the script and we had to fight all odds to bring the movie to the big screens,” says Jayawardana.
He adds that the film industry is struggling to stay afloat in his country. “Earlier, we had around 127 theatres. Now, it has come down to 57. The movie did well in the festivals, so I hope it will get a theatrical release.” This is his second stint at IFFK. Earlier, he had come with his highly acclaimed movie August Drizzle in 2012.
“I have been to many festivals across the globe and the film culture in Kerala stands out. The energy is different here. We don’t watch Bollywood movies, which are unreal. South Indian movies, especially Malayalam ones, are more real and they show real issues, relationships and places,” he adds.
Seven Sri Lankan actors, who acted in the film, were awarded for their performance at the recently held Hanoi International Film Festival. “We had to brave many risks and storms to make this film into a reality. We spent 22 days in the deep sea and had to go through a lot mentally and physically,” says Mahendra Perera, one of the lead actors in the film.