28, a film written and directed by Prasanna Jayakody, showcased a series of awards this week at the SAARC Film Festival 2018 and Derana Sunsilk Film Awards 2018. Jayakody secured the Best Director award and Mahendra Perera won the Best Actor award for the lead male role at the SAARC Film Festival for 28. The film also secured the awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Prasanna Jayakody) and Best Editing (Ranga Sinharage) at the Sixth Derana Sunsilk Film Awards.
The film also earned the NETPAC Jury recognition for the Best Asian Film at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in 2014. Jayakody’s work was privileged with a special Jury Mention at Bled Film Festival in the same year. The movie was also nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Screen Play and for Best Performance by an actor.
Director cum screenwriter, Prasanna Jayakody, speaks to Daily News about his tour de force and the trials and tribulations.
Q: Where did you get the idea to build the plot for film 28?
 Prasanna Jayakody |
A: A good friend of mine used to narrate a story about a man named Abasiri bringing in his mother-in-law’s dead body back home. In my script, the story grows into a different narration where a man named Abasiri brings his wife’s dead body back home. The second story naturally builds up from the sourced one. It is like placing a fertilised ovum in a new location.
In 28, I speak about the social issues in our country which arise from disassociating sexuality. As soon as we start to speak about sexuality, many people run from the topic. If someone is reading a newspaper or a book and some content describing sexuality pop up, they will immediately turn to the next page, lest other people spot it. To speak of such a topic and to build up a good rapport with an audience is a huge challenge. This challenge shapes into a black-comedy structure. This new structure creates a formidable space to talk about sexuality, woman, abuse and violence.
Q: 28 drew a barrage of criticisms. What is your opinion about them?
A: As an artist, I don’t believe that I have the right to criticise any of these analyses. An artist cannot be a critique just as much as a critique perhaps should not become an artiste. My creative work is mostly based on a magic-realism structure and draws from philosophy and psychology.
In most cases, the critiques or reviews done on my films do not capture the essence of this complicated fusion. I am not saying that what they are saying is wrong. But most of these literary critiques are established on political ideologies. My films do not take on political ideologies. My films bring out the innermost self of human beings. My art does not narrate stories. In the absence of a story, my art focuses on magnifying a person’s emotional psychological self. The reviews are mostly based on their own models of political ideologies. Or else, these reviews merely focus on analysing the story or the incidents. I do not believe that we can critique a piece of art based on philosophy and psychology using models based on political ideologies.
Q: How, do you think, such criticism affects your audience?
A: Overall, I don’t think it made any significant effect. But it indeed created a kind of curiosity among the people to get to know more about this film. I believe such criticism should be welcome. In a way, such criticism was helpful to me. I also so reviews arguing to and forth against and in favour of this film, which basically solved the problem without me having to intervene in the matter.
Q: There are many national and non-governmental organizations that focus on gender, sexuality, female and child abuse, women’s rights, violence inflicted on women, sex education and so on. How did they receive this film?
A: It is unfortunate that none of these organizations wanted to stand with, recognize or utilize this movie. 28 creates a strong platform where any issues related to aforesaid topics could be brought into the limelight, discussed, debated and urge for solutions. This is where a work of art becomes the strongest tool to drag everyone into the dialogue whether they are ready for it or not. 28 gives the most ideal backdrop for a strong movement. Unfortunately, no one took notice of this opportunity. For me, such organisations are no different from the most traditional person who could exist in this country. It is just another job. And I feel most of these organizations are not as genuine as they seem to be.
Q: How do you feel about receiving an award at a local film festival in compared to being internationally recognized?
A: Persons involved in cinema industry understand the importance of receiving international recognition to a film. However, to most local filmgoers such international awards do not ring a bell. If an artist wants to get a feedback from our own communities, local awards are crucial. Such awards create us more opportunities to reach our local audience. These local awards contribute much to the enhancement of our cinema industry as well.
Q: In all your other films you have used new actors and actresses to play the characters. Why is it not the same in 28?
A: 28 is structurally different from the previous films. I am dealing with a very sensitive and important issue in this country. I needed to build a strong relationship with my audience. Otherwise, there is no use of doing a film like this. I wanted to bring in that dark humour into the story and when doing so more dialogues coming in.
In my other movies images play a stronger character, but in 28, the actor is the main focus. He is the tool I use to bring in this farcical aspect of the story. The four main actors in this movie contributed their best to the movie, just as much as I exploited their talent to the fullest.
You may notice that I have used more long shots at the beginning to establish the setting of the film and ready the audience to grasp the story. Then at the end of the film, I use a series of close-ups to strongly portray the internal and external conflicts the characters undergo. It is only but excellent and experienced actors who could portray such emotional turmoil. Sometimes there were long takes that needed the consistency and accuracy of excellent acting skills. Mahendra Perera, Sarath Kothalawala, Semini Iddamalgoda and Rukmal Nirosh do an outstanding performance.
In all your other films you have used new actors and actresses to play the characters. Why is it not the same in 28?
Yes, in both Sankara and Karma I use new faces. But 28 is structurally different from both these films. I am dealing with a very sensitive and important issue in this country. So I needed to build a strong relationship with my audience. Otherwise, there is no use of doing a film like this.
I wanted to bring in that dark humour into the story and when doing so more dialogues coming in. In my other movies images play a stronger character, but in 28, the actor is the main focus. He is the tool I use to bring in this farcical aspect of the story. The four main actors in this movie contributed their best to the movie, just as much as I exploited their talent to the fullest.
You may notice, I have used more long shots at the beginning to establish the setting of the film and ready the audience to grasp the story. Then at the end of the film, I use a series of close-ups to strongly portray the internal and external conflicts the characters undergo.
It is only but excellent and experienced actors who could portray this emotional turmoil. Sometimes there were long takes that needed the consistency and accuracy of excellent acting skills. Mahendra Perera, Sarath Kothalawala, Semini Iddamalgoda and Rukmal Nirosh do an outstanding performance.
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