‘Para Dige’ screening at Art In The Village tomorrow

Saturday, 12 August 2017 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

1500 Art In The Village is back for a third time on Sunday, 13 August, 7 p.m. onwards at The Sooriya Village with the monumental film ‘Para Dige’ (1980) directed by consummate filmmaker Dharmasena Pathiraja starring Indira Abeysena, Vasanthi Chathurani and Vijaya Kumaratunga. This is a film about the instabilities of youthful urban life, its search for roots, and its lust for survival.

Chandare works for an insurance company that repossesses vehicles from customers who have defaulted on payments. Both he and his girlfriend are part of a generation of young people who have flooded into the cities in search of work. They are part of the cityscape of Colombo when the girlfriend discovers she is pregnant. This film repeatedly and insistently narrates a story of life’s uncertainty.

An auteur of Sinhala cinema, Dharmasena Pathiraja portrays the individual in the community going beyond the usual familial plights that formed the general theme in many contemporary movies. In his films, Pathiraja explores perennial topics by depicting the main characters not as characters per se but as an array of social problems and pressing issues. He brings out a fresh outlook to the filmmaking process as he identifies with the community and deftly chisels politics to all of his works.

Educated at Dharmaraja College, Kandy, Pathiraja graduated from the University of Peradeniya with an honours degree in Sinhala and Western Classical Culture in 1967. Subsequently he began work as a lecturer in Drama and Performance Arts and later obtained a PhD in Bengali cinema from Monash University. Among his internationally-acclaimed work are Ahas Gauwa, Eya Dan Loku Lamayek, Soldadu Unnahe, Mathu Yam Dawasa, Para Dige, the short film series Sathuro, and the Tamil film Ponmani.

The Sooriya Village, located in the heart of Colombo at No. 49 Skelton Road Colombo 5, provides amenities such as rehearsal suits, a top gear recording studio, library and research services, a tech based lecture room, a restaurant with mouth-watering delights, dorms, tea/coffee/juice lounge, performance spaces and plenty of hang out area.

Sooriya’s vision is to provide a facility for artists and art enthusiasts to nurture and explore the culture of arts delivering the best possible service and experience. The Sooriya Village welcomes all you vibrant art lovers for a refreshing evening away from the daily hustle and bustle to enjoy Art In The Village.

1500