Award winning
playwright Vijitha Gunarathne returns to limelight with his
maiden film 'Walapatala' (Penumbra), a true story that
occurred during the 1970s dark period in Sri Lanka. Vijitha a
victim in 1971 insurrection shows the grim social and
political culture joined by the state sponsored terror which
victimised the poor and the innocents.
Having created a series of award winning stage plays
Vijitha was influenced in introducing Bertolt Bretch's
famous 'Alienation' technique to the Sri Lanka theatre.
Almost all his stage plays beginning from 'Dethi Kiayatha'
in 1981 most of Vijiths's original and translation won
awards at the State Drama Festival. Later Vijitha embarked on
a trip to Sweden, where he studied theatre in depth and also
made a short film 'Bernen Under Solen' in 2004.
A
moving cinematic creation, 'Walapatala' marks Vijitha's
return to Sri Lankan Art Circle and the film focuses the
horror and terror with two youth resurrections that created
meyhem in the country's history. 'Walapatala' tells how a
radical political movement of youth spreads through the
village and a politician, Jayasundara senses threats against
his political career.
Team of
Walapatala
Gamini Haththotuwegama,
Jayalath Manorathna, Saumaya Liyanage, Palitha Silva, Jayani
Senanayake, Deepani Silva, Duleeka Marapana, Anton Jude,
Athula Liyanage, Lal Kularathna, Jagath Chandrasiri, Naleen
Pradeep Uduwela, Parmapriya Dias, Nissanka Diddeniya and
Somasiri Alakaolanga.
Director of Photography- K.
D. Dayananda, Editor- Ravindra Guruge, Make up- Shanaka
Peiris, Music Director- Tharupathi Munasinghe, Production
Designer- Lal Harendranath, Sound- Kalinga Perera, Producer-
Kasheyapa Gunarathna and Nelum Gunarathna, Script and
Director- Vijitha Gunarathna.
Vijitha the victim
and the victor Vijitha Gunarathne is a very special
representative of the radical youth, who took up arms in an
anti-state rebellion in Sri Lanka in 1971. He survived the
violent reprisal by the State and while spending his days
(1971-1973) in a 'rehabilitation camp' he directed his
first full-length play with his inmates, 'Ladder and a
Donkey' (Inimagak Saha Booruwek). Later he got the
opportunity to study in Sweden receiving a chance to follow a
full-time course in Drama and Theatre in the Swedish State
Drama Institution during the period 1976-1979. He came back
to Sri Lanka in 1980 and thus began his brilliant career as a
playwright and a Stage Director in the Sri Lankan Sinhala
Theatre. He blazed a trail in forming arguably the most
powerful political theatre trends of 1980s, which has an huge
impact on the later developments in Sri Lankan Theatre, by
using Brechtian conceptual tools and theatre strategies fused
with practices and insights borrowed from the Sri Lankan folk
theatre.
Some of his stage plays included
"Pansa Thune Kathawa'- (1983) translation of Bertolt
Bretch's 'Three Penny Opera', 'Norage Gedara'
translation of Henrik Ibsan's 'Doll's House',
'Subasadaka' Best Original script and Best Play at the
State Drama Festival-1985, 'Sathyanganavi'- Bretch's 'The
Good Women of Szetchwan' in 1985 and 'Sakki' (1986)
translation of Dario Fo's 'Accidental death of an
Anarchist'.
However the shadows of horrors
followed him at the second insurrection in 1989 and he was
forced to leave the country again. Returning back Vijitha has
made 'Walapatala' his first full-length film.
