Jagath Manuwarna’s debut feature-length film ‘Whispering Mountains’ has garnered significant acclaim, with its latest triumph being the prestigious ‘Best Asian Director’ award at the 2024 Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF). 

The accolades for ‘Whispering Mountains’ accumulated early on, with its initial recognition coming in the form of the ‘Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema’ (NETPAC) award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2023. Subsequently, the film clinched another international accolade at the Eurasian continent ‘One Sixth’ film festival in Russia, further solidifying its position as a noteworthy cinematic achievement.

A cinematic political statement

This recent triumph at DIFF adds another feather to the film’s cap, affirming its status as a standout piece of cinema on the global stage. The Sunday Morning Brunch reached out to the filmmaker for a discussion on the film. 

Manuwarna said: “If you watch my film, then you know my intention. It was never made expecting any type of award. This is the result of an approximately 13-year-long project. The content of this film is highly political, being primarily a social commentary on State oppression. 

“Let alone submitting it for festivals, there were concerns over whether I, as the creator, would be safe from the powers that be. I filmed this in 2017, during the Government of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. This is a film that was made amidst many challenges; getting approval for the script, etc., as you would expect, was difficult.”

Addressing oppression and artists, Manuwarna said: “As a political activist, this is a conversation about freedom of expression, human rights, and the abductions that have taken place in the north and south. There was a need to talk about it candidly. It is about the numerous atrocities carried out in this island; 1971, the State-sanctioned oppression in ’88/’89, the youth uprising, and the war in 2009. There are so many people who have disappeared; they do not even have a death certificate.”

“It is also about how the youth became involved and the State’s intervention in the youth uprising,” he said, adding that what he wished to portray candidly was “the grave violence, the stark reality of how vicious this State-sanctioned violence and oppression is”.

Uncomfortable conversations and confrontation are not without potential repercussions. Reflecting on the consequences artists could face for shedding light on inconvenient truths, Manuwarna said: “There have been instances where artists have been prosecuted in the name of inciting unwarranted criticism against the state. Regardless, the primary idea was to push for the conversation. As filmmakers, our films are not intended only for those within this country; we make films for everyone, and for me, this international attention is also accepted and intended.”

The themes depicted in the film, despite being filmed well before the pandemic and the onset of the economic crisis, resonate strongly with contemporary issues, which prompted Brunch to ask Manuwarna if he felt a prophetic element in the film. 

“I filmed ‘Whispering Mountains’ in 2017, and at the time, I had not even heard of something called Covid. I was concerned that people would confuse this story and its subject matter with current issues, however, thankfully, that did not happen. Nevertheless, it feels familiar because this is a tale as old as time; when the state carries out systematic oppression, it must produce reasoning and justify its actions, and for that, numerous stories and rumours emerge from the woodwork.”

Manuwarna also drew parallels to recent events, stating: “The closest example is during the pandemic. When the State failed to import vaccines, it started spreading mystic stories, the ‘Dhammika’ potion, and apparent ‘traditional’ practices like dropping pots in the lake, which were all lies. The State will promote such narratives and it will have the backing of professors and the educated elite. The media will also fall in line to support and tout this narrative.”

Championing the Lankan flag globally

Manuwarna reflected on the significance of winning the ‘Best Asian Director’ award, stating:

“I have won two other awards in China and Russia, and this Dhaka award is my fourth award. Winning this as a first-time director of a feature-length film has given me the recognition that has allowed the film to travel far.” He recounted the journey of his film, noting: “Prior to this, I had the world premiere of this film at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.”

Commenting on the varying levels of attention different awards received, Manuwarna remarked: “I am aware that there are certain categories of film festivals around the world, and it is surprising that the Rotterdam award did not receive this much attention, but I suppose it is the timing, since at the time it was the tail end of the ‘Aragalaya,’ etc.” 

Recalling a poignant moment from the International Film Festival Rotterdam, he said: “I recall a special moment on the day I won the award in Rotterdam, which was the day Iranian film director Jafar Panahi was released from jail. Just before my category, they held a few minutes of silence for Iranian directors, who hail from a country with even greater restrictions on freedom of expression than my own.”

Manuwarna also addressed the challenges faced by films such as his, often categorised as arthouse productions, within Sri Lanka’s cinema landscape: “Sri Lankans like to go to the cinema to watch family-friendly films, but films like mine are technically not for the masses, since mine is intended for an adult audience and contains adult themes, with an 18 plus rating. It is simply not the trend.”

Despite these hurdles, Manuwarna considers his film a success, highlighting its wide release and sustained presence in theatres. “Given these norms, I still consider my film a success because it had a wide enough release; it was shown in about 50 theatres and ran for a considerable amount of time. Even to this day, some theatres feature this film, and given the nature of my film, I consider that level of virality a win,” he said, highlighting that his comments on the Sri Lankan audience were not meant as criticism, but rather as observations. 

To be a filmmaker is not easy 

He also noted that filmmaking was a challenging endeavour regardless of location, stating: “No matter where you are in the world, it is not easy to be a filmmaker. It isn’t easy to find a producer and secure funds. Even in developed countries, the arts are a challenge.” 

However, despite these obstacles, he expressed satisfaction in bringing his project to fruition: “This project has been a long time coming because of these challenges. I tried several ways to get this film made. I had a few short films which I tried to fund and have a subsequent combination to be the feature-length end product, but eventually, I managed to make this.”

Regarding potential opposition to the film’s release, Manuwarna pointed to instances where individuals had attempted to hinder its distribution. Shedding light on the anticipated pushback, he said: “Some of my producers said there had been certain instances where people had tried to stop the film from reaching audiences.” 

He however expressed gratitude that the resistance had not been as severe as expected, attributing it to the current governmental circumstances. He elaborated: “Thankfully, I did not face a significant pushback. I believe this is because our current President is one without any real power and the State is currently in a precarious position, which is why I was able to release this film without much trouble.”

‘Kodigaha Yata’ set to return with season 2

Making a significant announcement, Manuwarna unveiled a special gift for his fans, stating: “I did a television show titled ‘Kodigaha Yata’ that was also a production riddled with numerous challenges. However, it was incredibly well received by audiences and there has been an enthusiastic call for a second season. People really are expecting it and I have plans to make the second season happen by way of a film.”