• Filmmaker Yasodhara Kariyawasam on Sri Lankan cinema and what we can learn from the global industry

As an accomplished YOUNG filmmaker and a wordsmith with a flair for versatility, Yasodhara Kariyawasam’s extraordinary achievements have taken the Sri Lankan film industry by storm. Her masterpiece, Ekthara Adara Kathawak, not only clinched the prestigious Best Short Film Award at the 2020 Agenda 14 Short Film Festival, but also garnered accolades for best editing, best script, and an impressive two best performance awards (actor and actress).

Undoubtedly, Kariyawasam’s well-earned recognition stands as a testament to her artistic dedication and ingenuity. The Daily Morning sat down with her for a chat on the current landscape when it comes to the film industry, ways and means of improvement, comparisons with the global cinematic industry and what we can learn from it.

What are the challenges and opportunities facing Sri Lankan cinema today?

The main challenge is financial, I would say, especially when it comes to independent filmmakers. Finding funds for a film or even a short film is quite the task. There’s a serious lack of the financial support system in Sri Lanka. When I met some of the international filmmakers, I realised that there are government funds and organisational grants within their countries which they can apply for when they want to make a film. That sort of support is lacking in Sri Lanka. Yes, given the fragile economic fabric, we can’t expect much right now. But the problem is that this is how it always has been. Art is not considered to be on par with careers such as doctors, lawyers or engineers.

The root cause of the issue is in the Sri Lankan education system. Children don’t have a lot of choice in their educational avenues. Artistic subjects are not emphasised enough in the curriculum. We still have an education system that was created during the times when the products of it had to cater to the country’s medicine, legal and infrastructure sections. If all those avenues fail, students rethink and get into arts. Creative field shouldn’t be a failsafe choice.

In terms of opportunities, there are several veteran filmmakers out there who are helping the upcoming filmmakers in ways they can – which needs to be appreciated. There are several film festivals that are organised within the country creating opportunities for filmmakers to come forth and present their films. However, we need to seriously think about how these filmmakers can bring their films into the big screen one day without their creativity being nipped in the bud due to politics and other hierarchical issues.

How do you think the Sri Lankan film industry can learn from the successes of foreign film industries?

Well, we have much to learn. We don’t have a film industry as such. We need to create one. For that, creating a support system for the new filmmakers in terms of finances as well as education is important. We don’t have a good film school yet, whereas other countries have several. These film schools sometimes aren’t even universities. They don’t give degrees, but give bachelor level and masters level diplomas which require students to study for several years. I’ve seen film workshops in Sri Lanka where it says that you can learn how to make a short film in one day. In all honesty, it’s not as simple as that. Anyone can make a short film. But it has to account for something in creativity and the narrative. That’s something we can learn from international film industries – taking film seriously.

In terms of listing out certain practices we can adopt – in foreign countries, short films are shown before feature film screenings to provide exposure for new filmmakers. Grants and funds are available where the filmmakers can pitch their ideas or films in order to gain financial support. Film schools are well-established. Filmmakers are constantly informed about international opportunities available out there.

What are your thoughts on the on-going US actors’ strike?

I believe that it was necessary. When power and money are concentrated among a few production companies, and when actors – especially the ones that are in the background – can’t even cover their basic health insurance, it can be seen as an act of solidarity that they took it to the streets together. The reason why these companies thrive are because of the actors – no matter how big or small their names are.

They also emphasised on how artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a huge role in taking away the room for human talent. I mean, if AI can write an entire script within an hour – and this trend will be widely utilised over the course of the next few years – creators will be out of jobs in no time. For example, a film script takes years to write. The toils the writers go through to get a script finished and pitch it to a director, producer or a production company cost them blood and sweat. In such a background when they have to compete for their bread and butter while doing something they are passionate about, the development of AI can only be seen as a threat to livelihood.

Do you think the strike will have any impact on Sri Lankan cinema?

Well, if we can learn something out of it, sure. Right now, we don’t even have enough opportunities to look forward to filmmaking as a solid career without succumbing to cheap commercial outputs in the industry. Not every filmmaker would want to resort to mega dramas and corporate gigs that destroy any creativity in a project. If we can learn something from it, that may be how we can unify and demand a support system – but the country is in such a state that we are reduced to worrying about how to find the next meal of the day.

What are your thoughts on the role of unions in the film industry?

The unions in Sri Lanka have been discussing national film policies. Something that stood out in these discussions for me was the fact that they were harping on how the youth of Sri Lanka don’t go to the theatres to watch films. The fact of the matter is that the youth does go to the theatres to watch films, I have seen film halls teeming with crowds – just not when it comes to Sri Lankan films. How can they? The youth has been exposed to better films and TV shows because of social media and we don’t have enough Sri Lankan films to compete with those narratives. I’m not talking about the technical details – I’m talking about solid stories and creative direction.

These national film policies that are under discussion need to consider how to create pathways for new filmmakers, how to reduce power games within the reputed film hierarchy, how to get new films into the cinemas without having to wait for years giving space to those who call in small favours, and how to encourage children within the educational space to create. Free-thinking needs to be reinstalled if at all and these are somethings that our unions need to consider.

What are some challenges that Sri Lankan filmmakers face when trying to make films that appeal to foreign audiences?

When I went abroad for film studies, even though it was for a brief time period, they loved my films – especially Ekthara Adara Kathawak starring Ashan Dias and Christina Britto. They also loved the new concepts I came up with – which were all very Sri Lankan stories, which will be developed further on in the next few years. So, I think the problem lies in the creativity and the visibility to the stories we have.

It is not about the technical details as to which cameras were used or which Da Vinci suite was used. We have so many stories to tell. We simply need to tell them creatively. For that we need to break out from the commercial mould at times. The challenge we inherently face is that, while trying to appeal to the mass audiences in an attempt to incur profits, we lose our stories. Going commercial isn’t all about cheap thrills. We have simply resorted to lazy story structures in order to find coins. We need to up our creative game and go into the world with these stories.

What do you think is the most important thing for Sri Lankan filmmakers to focus on in the next few years?

New filmmakers need to go out into the world. That should be the most important thing we do. We need to see how films are made in other countries, the discipline they have when it comes to film, how we can horn our creativity learning from them, and collect as many contacts as possible while we’re at it.

However, it won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible. There are scholarships, funds, and grants available all over the world. We simply need to go out of our comfort zones and grab these opportunities as they come. Like I said, we have stories that the international audiences would love, we have a rich culture and thousands of years of history. We don’t need to create stories of Batman out of thin air, we have real superheroes – the people of this country – tell their stories and make a name out of it!

What are your hopes for the future of Sri Lankan cinema in the global market?

Our hope is the new filmmakers. They are creative and inspirational. We simply need to start recognising them more, supporting them more, and encouraging them more. There are several colleagues of mine who are in other countries, studying film as we speak. We need more of them out there, learning from the world and teaching the world about us.