Nisadas

UPDATE: If you’re looking for the official site for Samanala Thatu, please visit http://filmslanka.com

My favourite movies are generally on the lines of “Lion of the Desert” starring Anthony Quinn, “Patriot”, “Braveheart”, “The Lord of the Rings”, “Last Samurai” – you get the picture. Breathtaking scenery, cavalry charges, flag waving, suicidal warriors – the works.

On Thursday evening, I had the opportunity (thanks to Thiva) to attend a film with a much more personal look – “Samanala Thatu” (“Butterfly Wings”) is now on at the Savoy.

I’m not by any definition of the term, a film critic. I’m certainly not qualified to be one. I fell asleep – twice- in an attempt to watch Titanic and have watched hardly any Sri Lankan movies.
Therefore, this post cannot (and certainly should not) be construed as a review.

But basically – Samanala Thatu is, IMHO, a good movie. It doesn’t necessarily preach about any topic in particular, although there seemed to be a focus on children’s rights.

What struck me the most, however, was the manner in which the life of the less-privileged of urban Sri Lanka was portrayed. Everyday concerns were clearly displayed and the camera hid nothing of the stark reality that so many people today sadly face in our island home.

Having read Prabhath’s wonderful post on being a Third World Designer the theme of this movie was even more relevant.

A fascinating point that was also brought up was the role played by Child Protection Agencies(CPA). Throughout the movie, the plight of street children was clearly presented, with many ways in which they are exploited by those around them. The CPAs however, it would seem have the best of intentions, but not the best of methods to implement them, in the movie. I don’t have much of an idea on how they work in real life, so no comment on that either.

But enough of all the meandering statements. Samanala Thatu is a really good movie – I enjoyed watching it and appreciated the insights into scenes of life that we could so easily ignore.