Sex is a basic human right. Yet homosexuality and lesbianism is tabooed by some societies and religions while treated by some quarters as an unfortunate reality in this universe. The fact remains there were, are and will be people with different sexual inclinations in this universe.
An individual can become a gay person due to complex reasons and they are explained profoundly in psychology.
Shakespeare in playwriting had explored the world of homosexuality in a circuitous manner. A celebrity like Freddie Mercury of ‘I want to break free’ fame openly admitted he is a homosexual and urged the world to accept them for who he is. Engelbert Humperdinck (who will perform in Sri Lanka this month) once recorded a song named; Lesbian Seagull shedding light on the subject.
However all above scenarios were set in the European context.
In our country homosexuals and lesbians are reluctantly compelled to hide their identity and the reality of being different to others. This complexity leads to many complications in their personal lives and in the society.
Some females here never marry and live their whole life with this agenizing secret. Shemales hide their identity to the society and end up in misery. Homosexual males however manage to find their partners who sometimes happen to be happily married persons. The society keeps a blind-eye towards this scenario and tries to condemn it further using teachings in religions as a weapon. In the meantime culture plays a significant role to deprive rights of gay people.
In the Sri Lankan art sphere this subject has not been discussed until Chandraratne Mapitigama and Shelton Payagala made the film Malata Noena Bamaru casting Joe Abeywickrama in the lead role. Ajith Jinadasa and Shirani Kaushalya played other leading roles in this cinema. The film sent shock waves across the circles yet stimulated budding filmmakers to fearlessly indulge in their self expressions.
Frangipani
Decades gone by Visakesa Chandrasekaram a young human rights lawyer cum artiste has touched the subject of homosexuality in a more daring manner in his debut cinema Frangipani aka Saya Pethi Kusuma.
The cinema presents a story of two young men and a girl entangled in an unusual love triangle tabooed by in their remote but rapidly changing village. Frangipani speaks out of gay people’s right to love. It is a fact that hiding from religious surroundings and the law, gays and lesbians exist in sleepy villages as well as in the city.
The cinema is critical of the local cultural practices and focuses on innate human emotions that make people smile, cry and make them pursue for the ultimate joy of love.
Visakesa Chandrasekaram the screenplay writer, producer and director of Frangipani is a human rights lawyer and an independent artiste practicing in Sri Lanka and Australia. He won the prestigious Gratiean Prize and the National Literary Prize for the English and Sinhala versions of his debut play, Thahanam Adaviya (Forbidden Area).
Cinematographer of Frangipani Kularuwan Gamage has captured emotions portrayed by actors masterfully. Song melodies in the cinema made by Visakesa Chandrasekaram himself with Shantha Peiris have added immense value to the cinema. Haunting music scores by Shantha Peiris enhances this aspect.
Frangipani casts Dasun Pathirana, Jehan Srikanth Appuhami, Yashodha Rasanduni in the lead roles. Frangipani has the power to make any religiously or culturally inclined person respect emotions of people including gay people.
Add new comment