Prasanna Vitahanage Presents His Anti-War Trilogy at 10th SSAFF!
To commemorate the 10th year, Tasveer will focus on Sri Lankan Cinema, bringing some of the best recent films from the island nation, for the first time in the US. We will be showcasing 5 narrative, 2 short and 3 documentary films. The highlight of SSAFF will be a retrospective on Prasanna Vithanage and his anti-war trilogy – Death on a Full Moon Day, August Sun & With You Without You. He will also screen his latest documentary Silence in Courts and give a talk on “The Politics of Filmmaking” at the University of Washington Bothell Campus. We are also proud to present the first ever LGBT film from Sri Lanka–a ground breaking film to come out of Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan film industry is a fledgling industry that has struggled to find a footing since its inauguration in 1947 and has survived a 25 year long civil war. We are excited to see a exponential change in Sri Lankan cinema in recent years, where films have begun to tackle gritty subjects such as family relationships, LGBT, abortion and aftermath of the conflict between the military and Tamil Tiger rebels. Directors like Prasanna Vithanage and Asoka Handagama especially have drawn criticism for pursuing such material in their work. We want to honor and celebrate Sri Lankan film history, by showcasing the work, celebrating the struggles during this grand 10th year of SSAFF.
