Hemmed in by European colonialism and internal power struggles for over 200 years, the last stronghold of the kings of Sri Lanka, Kandy, evolved a unique, distinctive artistic identity, contributing to South Asia’s rich cultural landscape.
Unlike South Asian women filmmakers from her time, including Fatma Begum, Parveen Rizvi, Shamin Ara, and Kohinoor Akhter, Sumitra Peries did not come to the director’s chair as an actress. In that sense, with her education in the West and her editing skills, she was a definitive precursor to the likes of Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta. This point has not yet been appreciated or acknowledged by historians of the regional cinema.
Sri Lanka has seen a massive transformation. Fuel queues that once dragged on for miles have dried up. Power cuts have come down. But the island nation is still far from out of disturbed waters.
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