''Bambaru Avith (The Wasps are Here)'' ( si, italic=yes, බඹරු ඇවිත්) is a 1978

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

n Sinhala drama film directed by

Dharmasena Pathiraja Pathiraja Navaratne Wanninayake Mudiyanselage Ranjith Dharmasena (28 March 1943 – 28 January 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director and screenwriter. He has been referred to as a 'rebel with a cause', an ‘''enfant terrible'' of the '70s', and ...

and produced by director himself with Thilak Godamanne for Saranga Salaroo. It explores tradition and exploitation following the introduction of capitalism to a tiny fishing village and the subsequent clash between the local boss and the urban outsider.

Plot

In a fishing village, Anton ''Aiya'' is an exploiter who outwardly resembles and acts like a regular fisherman, but he exploits and feeds off the other fishermen. Into this setting arrives members of the urban entrepreneurial youth. They have adapted to Western Culture, dressing like Westerners and preferring Western music. Conflict arises between Anton ''Aiya'' and Baby ''Mahattaya'' (Victor), a representative of the urban youth. A middle-class leftist Weerasena is also of this group. The arrival of these youths has clearly caused a social crisis requiring a solution and all Weerasena can do is stand on a platform and deliver a speech that no one listens to. He finally leaves for the city.

Cast

Joe Abeywickrema Deshabandu Gammana Patabendige Don John Abeywickrama ( Sinhala:ජෝ අබේවික්‍රම) (22 June 1927 – 21 September 2011), popularly as Joe Abeywickrama, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Initially famed ...

as Anton Aiya *

Vijaya Kumaratunga Kovilage Anton Vijaya Kumaranatunga ( si, කොවිලගේ ඇන්ටන් විජය කුමාරණතුංග; ta, விஜய_குமாரணதுங்க; 9 October 1945 – 16 February 1988), popularly known as Vijaya ...

as Victor, Baby Mahattaya *

Wimal Kumara de Costa Wimal Kumara de Costa (4 July 1948 – 20 November 2016 as විමල් කුමාර ද කොස්තා inhala was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema. One of the most popular comedy artists in 1980s and 1990s, he started cinema career ...

as Weerasena *

Malini Fonseka Wanniarachchige Malini Senehelatha Fonseka, popularly as Malini Fonseka ( Sinhala:මාලිනී ෆොන්සේකා) (born 30 April 1947, in Kelaniya) is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television as well as a director. ...

as Helen *

Ruby de Mel Ruby Jasmine de Mel (born as රූබි ද මැල්) inhala 4 December 1917 – 8 November 2004) was a Sri lankan film actress in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. One of the earliest pillars in Sri Lankan film history, de M ...

as Celestina, Helen's mother *

Amarasiri Kalansuriya Amarasiri Kalansuriya, (born 20 September 1940: si, අමරසිරි කලංසූරිය), popularly known as Kalan, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television. Kalansuriya made his first film appearance alongside Vijaya ...

as Sanath *

Daya Thennakoon Daya Bandara Tennakoon (born 29 November 1941 – died 17 April 2020 as දයා තෙන්නකෝන්) inhala, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. Personal life He was born on 29 November 1941 in the small ...

as Francis *

Cyril Wickramage Cyril Wickramage (born 26 January 1932: Sinhala:සිරිල් වික්‍රමගේ) is an actor and director in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television as well as a singer. Wickramage is known for participating mainly in artistic ...

as Cyril *

Somasiri Dehipitiya Dehipitiyage Don Somasiri (born January 29, 1933 – died April 27,1982), popularly as Somasiri Dehipitiya, was a popular Sri Lankan character actor. He is best known for performances in Dharmasena Pathiraja and Vasantha Obeysekera films. Per ...

as Seba *

Vincent Vaas Andara Vaas Patabedige Vincent (7 November 1922 – 6 May 2004 වින්සන්ට් වාස්), popularly known as Vincent Vaas was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema. Often considered one of the best character actors in Sinhala cinema, ...

as Anton's friend * S. H. Somapala as Christopher * Piyasena Ahangama as Navy officer *

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 screenwrite ...

as Church father * W. Jayasiri as Michael

Music

Premasiri Khemadasa composed the music for the film. The two main songs are "Udumbara" and "Handunagathoth Oba Ma."

Critical reception

Steve Rose of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', in a 2021 review of a restored version of the film, gave it a score of 4/5 stars. He wrote: "this realist drama from 1978 is well worth the effort, not only because it is a landmark of Sri Lankan cinema... but also because it addresses universal socio-political themes with elegant simplicity." He concluded: "Despite the realist authenticity and political intent, there’s also a gentle sensuality to the story, with soft folk music and moments of tender romance. The characters are believably complex and conflicted, and the sandy, sun-bleached landscape is evocatively portrayed. It feels like a precious snapshot of a place and time rarely glimpsed."

Awards and nominations

* Sri Lankan representative at 1978

Moscow International Film Festival The Moscow International Film Festival (russian: Моско́вский междунаро́дный кинофестива́ль, translit. ''Moskóvskiy myezhdunaródniy kinofyestivál''; abbreviated as MIFF) is the film festival first h ...

* Screened at Mostra and

Los Angeles Film Festival The LA Film Festival was an annual film festival that was held in Los Angeles, California, and usually took place in June. It showcased independent, international, feature, documentary and short films, as well as web series, music videos, episod ...

s * Presidential awards for the Best Film and Best Director - 1979 *

OCIC SIGNIS (official name: World Catholic Association for Communication) is a Roman Catholic lay ecclesial movement for professionals in the communication media, including press, radio, television, cinema, video, media education, internet, and new ...

awards for Best Film and Best Director - 1979 * Named the fourth Best Sri Lankan Film of the first 50 years by a Presidential council * Featured in the Cannes Classics 2020 - 4K film and sound restoration was carried out by L’Immagine Ritrovata using the sole-surviving 35mm film positive.

References

External links

* 1978 films 1978 drama films Sri Lankan drama films 1970s Sinhala-language films {{SriLanka-film-stub