Merit Certificate12th Italian Frix Liyanado International Film FestivalItaly - 2003
Description
'Irasma', a film solely targetting children is to be released next May, immediately after the school vacation on the Film Corporation circuit.
The film an adaptation of Anoma Rathnayake's award winning children's novel of the same name has been scripted and directed by Ariyaratne Vithanage.
The film unravels the story of the girl 'Irasma', who comes up in life despite her broken family background.
Ariyaratne Vithanage, General Secretary of the Children Film Society of Sri Lanka said the film could help the children coming from broken families.
"The film's message is that the children from whatever background they come could be motivated positively with help of performing arts" said Mr. Vithanage who has been in the forefront in the effort to develop children's film culture in this country.
Directing two children films namely "Thrupthi" and 'Athuru Mithuru", Mr. Vithanage was given a jury award his direction including three other awards at the Presidential Awards ceremony.
This man who has directed films solely for children said his latest directorial effort has been categorised as a feature film tackling aspects of non-formal education obtained in today's education system.
The director who had studied the production of children's films in Germany claimed "Introducing performing arts specially like music could play a big role in the lives of children who come from disturbed environments to come up in life".
A script writer by profession, Mr. Vithanage's first script was made into the film "Selinage Walawwa" by veteran film maker Dharmasiri Pathiraja.
Having written several scripts for teledramas and films he is presently working on a teledrama script based on the Charles Dickens' world famous novel "Oliver Twist".
The cast include Irangani Serasinghe, Duleeka Marapana, Douglas Ranasinghe, Maureen Charuni, Priyankara Ratnayake and several child artistes.
To Victor Ratnayake's music and Kumaradasa Saputhanthri's lyrics Nanda Malani has sung the theme song of the film.
"Irasma" is the first children's film funded by the Film Development Fund of the National Film Corporation and also the first production under the guide-lines of the Children's Film Society of Sri Lanka..
Main parts of the filming of "Irasma" was done at locations in and around Kandy and Mawanella.
http://sundaytime s.lk/020203/tv.html
"Irasma" meaning, strong as the sun and soft as a flower is a girl who lost her parent's love but struggles to regain it. The role is played by Ama Wijesekera.
She is the only daughter of engineer 'Tharintha", and dance teacher 'Paani'. While the parents were busy with their jobs Irasma lives in her own world in isolation. The hidden quarrels between the parents one day turns into a major fight and Irasma's mother meets with an accident while trying to leave the house. The result being the mother taken abroad for further medical treatment and the father seeking foreign employment, Irasma is left abandoned without parental love.
Though living with her grandmother the arguments that took place in the past between father and mother continue to disturb her.
Listening to grandmother Irasma comes to identify herself with the characters in the stories decides to work hard to better her position in life.
Even after the return of her father, Irasma refuses to meet him due to the unfortunate experiences haunting her. At the same time she takes on the task of nursing her mother who is recovering from the accident.
There is nothing that could bring the separated mother and father together, except young Irasma's achievements.
