Ira Madiyama

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Ira Madiyama (August Sun)
Directed by Prasanna Vithanage
Starring Peter D Almeida
Nimmi Harasgama
Namal Jayasinghe
Mohamed Rahfiulla
Release dates August 2003 (Montreal)
February 2005 (Sri Lanka)
Running time 108 minutes
Country Sri Lanka
Language Sinhala & Tamil

'Ira Madiyama (August Sun)' is a bi-lingual feature film directed by award-winning filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage.[1]

The film premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival.[2]

Synopsis

Ira Madiyama (August Sun) set in Sri Lanka during the mid-1990s and tells three simultaneous stories against the backdrop of the country's savage civil war (1983 – 2009).

Chamari (Nimmi Harasgama) is searching for her husband, a Sinhalese Sri Lankan Air Force pilot shot down in flight, whom she believes has been taken prisoner by the Tamil Tigers. Desperate to know the truth, she enlists a sympathetic journalist and sets out on a journey to track him down.

Meanwhile, eleven-year-old Tamil Muslim Arfath (Mohamed Rahfiulla) is struggling to keep his companion and friend, a dog, while the family together with the entire village is forced to evacuate by a rebel army.

The third narrative follows Duminda (Namal Jayasinghe), a young soldier who walks into a brothel to find his sister among the working girls.

The main action of the film takes place in Sri Lanka’s northern territories, parts of which are controlled by the Tamil rebels who have created a de facto separate state.

These stories are about people who are struggling to hold on to their hopes and dreams while being swept up by the torrents of war. The film is about their quest for life.[3]

Cast

Actor Role
Peter D Almeida Saman
Nimmi Harasgama Chamari
Namal Jayasinghe Duminda
Mohamed Rahfiulla Arfath
Shoaib Mansoor Hassan

Music

The original music for Ira Madiyama was composed by Lakshman Joseph De Saram.

Trivia

  • 'Ira Madiyama (August Sun)' was a bi-lingual film in Sinhala & Tamil.
  • The father and son characters of Hassan and Arfath, were real-life refugees who had fled their hometown of Mannar under similar circumstances.
  • Although, set against the backdrop of war and ethnic conflict the film focused on the social fabrics of the nation. There were no warfare scenes in the film.
  • The events in 'Ira Madiyama (August Sun)' take place on the day Sri Lanka became world champions when they beat Australia in the 1996 Cricket World Cup final in Lahore, Pakistan. It is also the period immediately following the breakdown of the first attempt at peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). So it was a time of great tension and uncertainty mixed with elation at the cricketing success.[4]

Theatrical Release

Sri Lanka

'Ira Madiyama (August Sun)' saw its domestic release across Sri Lanka on 10 February 2005. It opened across 16 centres islandwide. It ran for 55 days to good critical and commercial response.[5]

Singapore

Ira Madiyama (August Sun) and Akasa Kusum (Flowers of the Sky) are set for limited release from 18 June 2010, at Sinema Old School[6] a 136-seater high definition cinema screening local and award-winning films in Singapore.[7]

International Film Festivals

Awards

  • Best Film - Silver Award Lady Harimaguada De Plata, Las Palmas International Film Festival, Canary Islands
  • Best Actress - Nimmi Harasgama, Las Palmas International Film Festival, Canary Islands
  • Grand Jury Prize, Makati Cinemanila International Film Festival, Philippines

Official Selections

  • Quebec International Film Festival, Canada
  • Chennai International Film Festival, India
  • Kolkata Film Festival, India
  • Pusan International Film Festival, Korea
  • Fukuoka International Film Festival, Japan
  • Cinequest International Film Festival, USA
  • Istanbul International Film Festival, Turkey
  • Taiwan Film Festival, Chinese Taipei
  • Films from the South Festival, Oslo, Norway

References

  1. ↑ Susitha R. Fernando (6 April 2003). "Story of ordinary people & life's challenges". Sunday Times, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2010-05-17. 
  2. ↑ Derek Elley (29 September 2003). "Review - Ira Madiyama (August Sun) (Sri Lanka)". Variety. Retrieved 2010-05-17. 
  3. ↑ Chandana Silva (6 April 2005). "Ira Madiyama (August Sun) - Aesthetic and technical achievement". Daily News, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2010-05-17. 
  4. ↑ Nirupama Subramaniam (7 January 2006). "What Price War?". The Hindu, India. Retrieved 2010-05-18. 
  5. ↑ Prasanna Vithanage (May 2005). "Ira Madiyama (August Sun) at Cannes Film Festival's Sri Lanka Day". Official Website of Prasanna Vithanage. Retrieved 2010-05-17. 
  6. ↑ Larry Loh, Singapore Editor (26 March 2010). "5 must-visit venues for the independent film lover in Singapore". CNN GO, Local Insights. Global Experiences. Retrieved 2010-05-23. 
  7. ↑ Sue-Ann Teo (28 May 2010). "Next Up: Ira Madiyama (August Sun)". Sinema.sg. 

External links

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