''Mille Soya (Buongiorno Italia)'' is a 2004

romantic musical film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

, written, produced and directed by Boodee Keerthisena. The film stars

Mahendra Perera Mahendra Shrikantha Perera (born 17 August 1956: si, මහේන්ද්‍ර පෙරේරා), is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. One of the most influential actors in Sinhala cinema, Mahendra performed from ...

Jackson Anthony Conganige Joseph Malsi Ushan Thimira Jackson Anthony (born July 8, 1958, as ජැක්සන් ඇන්තනී), commonly known as Jackson Anthony, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. One of the most popular artists ...

Sanath Gunathilake Somsiri Sanath Julien Gunatilake (born 27 October 1955: Sinhala:සනත් ගුණතිලක), popularly as Sanath Gunatilake, is an actor, director, screenwriter in Sri Lankan cinema and film director. A highly versatile actor acros ...

Kamal Addararachchi Addararachchige Gunendra Kamal (born on 5 February 1962: si, කමල් අද්දරආරච්චි), popularly as Kamal Addararachchi, is an actor in Sri Lankan Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television, as well as a singer and presen ...

, and

Sangeetha Weeraratne Dian Hemamali Sangeetha Weeraratne (born December 13, 1973, as ( Sinhala:සංගීතා වීරරත්න) is a Sri Lankan film actress in the Sri Lankan cinema. She made her debut as a sixteen-year-old with Roy de Silva's ''It's a Mat ...

. The film was released on 21 October 2004. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. The film is Sri Lanka's very first digital film. Shooting of the film was started in 1997 in Naples, Positano in Italy and in Chilaw in Sri Lanka. It is a Sri Lankan-Italian co-production. The film follows a group of young Sri Lankan musicians who illegally immigrate to Italy in the baggage compartment of a bus and about the lost dreams of Sri Lankan youth living during the Sri Lankan civil war.

Plot

The story revolves around a group of young musicians – rock 'n rollers who venerate Bob Marley and wish to become a famous band. But their lives on the lowest rungs of Sri Lankan society, with its poverty and violence, offer them little if no opportunities. Friends returning from Italy talk about the money to be made. But the journey there is not straightforward because it's not legal. The film follows them on their dangerous journey with all its hazards, its comradeship, its tears and laughter, and also death. When in Naples, Italy, the appalling conditions of their day-to-day living, the hard labor, but also the basic human frailties, strengths, loves and hates, are also shown. On returning to Sri Lanka, somehow they seem to be better equipped to survive either in Sri Lanka, or to return to Italy, this time as legal immigrants.

Cast

as Pradeep *

as Princy *

as Samson *

as Maxi *

as Sagara *

Ravindra Randeniya Liyanage Boniface Walter Perera (born 5 June 1945), popularly known by his stage name Ravindra Randeniya, is a Sri Lankan actor and former politician. He rose to fame in Lester James Peries's film ''Desa Nisa'' in 1972, and was a popular actor d ...

as Agent KingsLey *

Veena Jayakody Virginia Sandhya Peiris (born 27 November 1952 as වීණා ජයකොඩි) inhala, better known as Veena Jayakody, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. Jayakody started as a child artist and has played critic ...

as Pradeep's mother * Sriyantha Mendis as Jude * W. Jayasiri * Suvineetha Weerasinghe as Maxi's Mother *

Roger Seneviratne Joseph Roger Seneviratne (born 5 May 1962 as රොජර් සෙනෙවිරත්න) inhala, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television as well as singer and politician by profession. Highly versatile actor who dominat ...

as Michael * Lakshman Mendis as Premasiri

Songs

* ''Sudu Andumin'' performed by Jaya Sri * ''Anjaleeka'' performed by Marians * ''Ape Dawasak Enawamai'' performed by Jaya Sri (written in Sinhala to the melody of "

No Woman, No Cry "No Woman, No Cry" is a reggae song by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The song was recorded in 1974 and released on the studio album '' Natty Dread''. The live recording of this song from the 1975 album '' Live!'' was released as a single and is ...

") * ''Gantheere Gantheere'' performed by Kithsiri Jayasekara &

Nirosha Virajini Virajini Lalithya de Silva, also known as Nirosha Virajini ( Sinhala: නිරෝෂා විරාජිනී) is a Sri Lankan award-winning singer, musician and music director with a career spanning over 23 years. Personal life Nirosha ...

* ''Salli Pokuru Mille Ahuru'' performed by Damian Wickramathilaka

References

External links

* * {{Official Website, http://www.millesoya.com/main.html 2004 films Sinhala-language films Films set in Sri Lanka (1948–present) 2000s English-language films