White Flowers For The Dead
''Ahasin Polowata'' (English: ''White Flowers for the Dead'', si, අහසින් පොලොවට) is a 1978 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Dr Lester James Peries and written by Tissa Abeysekara. The film stars Tony Ranasinghe as Sarath, an abusive husband who is haunted by his wife's death. Peries made the film as a favour to D. B. I. S. Siriwardene who was ardent that Peries direct a film based on his wife, Eileen's book. It was well received in Sri Lanka, critically and commercially, and made appearances at several foreign film festivals including the Cairo International Film Festival where it won the Best Film from the Third World award. Plot Dr.Sarath (Tony Ranasinghe) domineers over his timid wife Vineetha (Sriyani Amarasena). When she is to have a Caesarean delivery of their baby, Sarath refuses to be present even though he himself is a doctor. She dies during surgery and Sarath is forced to live with the spectre of his wife hanging over him. Cast * Tony Ranasing ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Lester James Peries
Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries ( Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකාභිමාන්ය ලෙස්ටර් ජේම්ස් පීරිස්; 5 April 1919 – 29 April 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Considered as the father of Sri Lankan cinema, Lester worked as a filmmaker from 1949 to 2006, and was involved in over 28 films, including shorts and documentaries. He received critical acclaim for directing ''Rekava'', '' Gamperaliya'', ''Nidhanaya'', ''Golu Hadawatha'', '' Kaliyugaya'', ''Awaragira'' and ''Yuganthaya''. His movie '' Wekande Walauwa'', starring Ravindra Randeniya and Malini Fonseka, was Sri Lanka's first ever submission for the Academy Awards and the film ''Nidhanaya'' was included among the top 100 films of the century by the Cinémathèque Française. [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Tissa Abeysekara
Deshanabu Tissa Ananda Abeysekara (7 May 1939 – 18 April 2009 as තිස්ස අබේසේකර) was a Sri Lankan filmmaker, actor, writer, director, screen playwright and political activist. He is better known as a script writer for the cinema as well as a film director. In 1996, his book ''Bringing Tony Home'' won the prestigious Gratiaen Prize for the new creative writing in English. He was the chief coordinator of FOSWAL in Sri Lanka and honoured awardee of SAARC Literary Award. Personal life Tissa Ananda Abeysekera was born Tissa Ananda Abeysekara Gunaratne de Fonseka in Maharagama, a railroad town southeast of Colombo to Sir Arthur Solomon de Fonseka and Agnus de Fonseka (Nee Rupesighe). Tissa's grandfather was Mudaliyar Carolis de Fonseka and is the great-grandson of Gate Mudaliyar Solomon de Fonseka. He grew up in his ancestral house, Greenlands in Havelock Town, Colombo. Tissa's paternal uncle (fathers brother) was Justice E.R. de Fonseka, QC, Puisne Judge of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Presidential Film Awards
Presidential Film Awards is a film award ceremony held in Sri Lanka. It is organized by the National Film Corporation along with the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. It was 1st awards in 1979 by President J. R. Jayewardene, and continue till 2004. The awards were not held from 2005 to 2014 when Mahinda Rajapakse was president. The award started to be presented again in 2015 by President Maithripala Sirisena. President awarding J. R. Jayewardene 1979 Winners *Best Film: ''Bambaru Avith'' - Thilak Godamanna *Best Direction: ''Bambaru Avith'' - Dharmasena Pathiraja, ''Ahasin Polawata'' - Lester James Peries *Best Actor: ''Ahasin Polawata'' - Tony Ranasinghe *Best Actress: ''Bambaru Avith'' - Malini Fonseka *Best Script Writer: ''Ahasin Polawata'' - Tissa Abeysekara *Best Cinematographer: ''Ahasin Polawata'' - Donald Karunarathna *Best Editor: ''Ahasin Polawata'' - Sumitra Peries *Best Music Director: ''Bambaru Avith'' - Premasiri Kemadasa *Best Art Dire ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Daya Alwis
Thuiappuarachchi Don Daya de Alwis (born 7 November 1942 – died 27 April 2015 as දයා අල්විස්) inhala, popularly known as Daya Alwis, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. He was also a screenwriter and director. He directed about six teledramas. He was the first person in Sri Lanka to receive an award covering all three areas - Stage Drama, Cinema and Teledrama. He died on 27 April 2015 at the age of 72, while receiving treatment after an accident. Personal life Daya Alwis was born on 7 November 1942 in Payagala as the fourth son of the family with seven siblings. He completed his education from Kalutara Vidyalaya. In 1956 at the age of 14, he sang the song ''Laa Dalu Wanamal''. After finishing Bhathkande degree, he entered to Tholangamuwa Central College as the music teacher. He made his first drama, ''Girikuta'', at the school. He was married to Yamuna Dayangani and they had two sons - Sarangadeva and Sapumal Bandara. Acting c ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Eddie Junior
Bulathsinhalage Hubert de Silva (12 March 1926 – 3 November 1982 as එඩී ජූනියර්) inhala, popularly known by his stage name Eddie Junior, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema and theater as well as a music composer and singer. Personal life Junior was born on 12 March 1926 in Negombo. His father Eddie de Silva, who was popularly known as Eddie Master was a renowned music composer. In time, he joined his father's theater troupe as a composer and actor. There he met actress Pearl Vasudevi; they married in 1940. The couple has one daughter, Sujeewa Lalee. Sujeewa also acted in few films including maiden acting in ''Sithijaya''. Vasudevi died 19 June 1987 at the age of 72 following a brief illness. Cinema career Junior started acting career with stage dramas conducted by Sirisena Wimalaweera Sirisena Wimalaweera ( si, සිරිසේන විමලවීර; born 23 June 1901 – died 24 August 1963) was a Sri Lankan filmmaker and theater master. He made sev ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Geetha Kumarasinghe
Kumara Vidugalage Dona Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasinghe (born 5 July 1955: si, ගීතා කුමාරසිංහ), popularly known as Geetha Kumarasinghe, is a Sri Lankan film actress and Member of a Parliament. She is the current State Minister of Women and Child Affairs. She made her debut in veteran director K. A. W. Perera's 1975 film, ''Wasana'' but it was Neil Rupasinghe's ''Lassana Kella'' which was released first. Since then, She is often referred to as "the prettiest girl ( සිංහල සිනමාවේ ලස්සන කෙල්ල)" on Sri Lankan silver screen and she has appeared in over 80 movies, winning the Sarasaviya Best Actress Award four times, in 1991, 1996, 2000 and 2004. She has also received the Sarasaviya Most Popular Actress Award several times. Early life She was born on 5 July 1945 in Hamburugala village, Bentara, Sri Lanka as the eldest of the family. Her father Wijepala Kumarasinghe first worked as a warehouse manager at the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Shanthi Lekha
Rita Irene Koys (July 1, 1929 – May 11, 2009), better known as Shanthi Lekha, was a Sri Lankan Film actress. She played the role of mother in more films than any other actress in Sinhala cinema. Personal life Lekha was born in Kalutara on July 1, 1929. She received her stage name from her first husband Shanthi Viraj. They had first met while she was attending Holy Family Convent in Kalutara. She died in France May 11, 2009. ''ColomboPage'' Retrieved on 2009-05-12 Career She starred in composer D. T. Fernando's play ''Shantha Prabha'' (1942). She subsequently made a mark as a dancer in plays starring[...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Thalatha Gunasekara
Abeykoon Mudiyanselage Thalatha Abeykoon (born 17 July 1937 – died 17 September 2003 as si, තලතා ගුණසේකර) inhala, popularly as Thalatha Gunasekara, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema. She is the mother of popular actress Nadeeka Gunasekara. Personal life Gunasekara was born on 17 July 1937 in Gampola, Kandy, Sri Lanka as the eldest of the family with five siblings. Her father, Tikiri Banda Abeykoon from Gampola was a Government Health Inspector. Her mother, Leelawathi Abeykoon Menike had the longest surname in the history of Sri Lanka castes where her birth name was Akkada Mukkada Weera Rambukkada Rambuke Jayagath Diyathilaka Koralege Ilanganthilaka Mudiyanselage Leelawathi Ilanganthilaka. It was a noble caste of Kandy who paid homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic with jasmine flowers. Thalatha had two younger sisters, Sita and Sri Kanthi; and two younger brothers, Senarath and Sena. She received her primary education at Kingswood College, Kandy. After th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Rukmani Devi
Daisy Rasammah Daniels, known popularly as Rukmani Devi (15 January 1923 – 28 October 1978: si, රුක්මණී දේවී) was a Sri Lankan film actress and singer, who was often acclaimed as "The Nightingale of Sri Lanka". She made it to the silver screen via the stage and had acted in close to 100 films, at the time of her death. Having an equal passion for singing as well as a melodious voice, she was Sri Lanka's foremost female singer in the gramophone era. After her death, she was awarded the Sarasaviya 'Rana Thisara'- Life Time Achievement Award at the 1979 Sarasaviya Awards Festival. Personal life Rukmani Devi, was born as Daisy Rasammah Daniels to a Tamil Colombo Chetty Christian family on 15 January 1923 at Ramboda in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. Second, in a family of five, her father, John Daniel worked on a plantation and her mother, Helen Rose was a teacher. She grew up in Colombo and had her early education at St. Matthew's School and then moved on to St ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Vijaya Kumaratunga
Kovilage Anton Vijaya Kumaranatunga ( si, කොවිලගේ ඇන්ටන් විජය කුමාරණතුංග; ta, விஜய_குமாரணதுங்க; 9 October 1945 – 16 February 1988), popularly known as Vijaya Kumaratunga'','' was a Sri Lankan film actor, playback singer and a politician. Regarded as one of the most popular icons in Sri Lankan cinema of all time. He was married to former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaranatunga from 1978 until his assassination in 1988. He was the Founder of Sri Lanka Mahajana Party. Early life He was born on October 9, 1945, at the government hospital in Ragama to Roman Catholic parents. His father was Kovilage Benjamin Kumaratunga, a village headmen and mother was Clara Beatrice Perera. Vijaya had three brothers and sisters: Sydney Kumaratunga, Vivian Kumaratunga and Rupa Kumaratunga. He received his primary education at Seeduwa Davisamara Maha Vidyalaya, secondary education at St. Benedict's Colleg ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Cairo International Film Festival
The Cairo International Film Festival ( ar, مهرجان القاهرة السينمائي الدولي) is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo Opera House. It was established in 1976 and has taken place every year since its inception, except for 2011 and 2013, when it was cancelled due to budget limitations and political instability. It is the only international competitive feature film festival recognized by the FIAPF in the Arab world and Africa, as well as the oldest in this category. History The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is one of only 15 Festivals accorded as a category "A" status by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations FIAPF. It is the oldest internationally accredited cultural feature film festival in the Arab World, Africa and the Middle East. Now briefly and in short, the history of CIFF goes back to 1975, after a visit to the Berlin Film Festival the late writer-critic Kamal El Mallakh and a group of li ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Drama Film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-genre, macro-genre, or micro-genre, such as soap opera, police crime drama, political drama, legal drama, historical drama, domestic drama, teen drama, and comedy-drama (dramedy). These terms tend to indicate a particular setting or subject-matter, or else they qualify the otherwise serious tone of a drama with elements that encourage a broader range of moods. To these ends, a primary element in a drama is the occurrence of conflict—emotional, social, or otherwise—and its resolution in the course of the storyline. All forms of cinema or television that involve fictional stories are forms of drama in the broader sense if their storytelling is achieved by means of actors who represent ( mimesis) characters. In this broader sense, drama ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |