The Pioneer
Over the past few decades, Lester James Peries has almost single-handedly pioneered the establishment and development of a truly national Sri Lankan cinema. His work predominantly revolves around the Sri Lankan family and village life with contrasting Western influences. It is said, “His is the cinema of simple contrasts, subtle shades of feelings and emotions -in short, lives which reflect larger conflicts being played just out of view.”
Challenges
To have survived five decades in the Sri Lankan film industry as Lester has done, is a feat in itself. He belongs to the first generation of film directors – the Wimalaweera and Jayamanne era. He has sustained fierce criticisms and controversy over the years, particularly about how he, as an anglicized middle class Roman Catholic, could make Sinhala films.
Lester explains that he had to readjust his entire sensibility to a culture he had lost in order to make films about life in the Sri… read more
The Pioneer
Over the past few decades, Lester James Peries has almost single-handedly pioneered the establishment and development of a truly national Sri Lankan cinema. His work predominantly revolves around the Sri Lankan family and village life with contrasting Western influences. It is said, “His is the cinema of simple contrasts, subtle shades of feelings and emotions -in short, lives which reflect larger conflicts being played just out of view.”
Challenges
To have survived five decades in the Sri Lankan film industry as Lester has done, is a feat in itself. He belongs to the first generation of film directors – the Wimalaweera and Jayamanne era. He has sustained fierce criticisms and controversy over the years, particularly about how he, as an anglicized middle class Roman Catholic, could make Sinhala films.
Lester explains that he had to readjust his entire sensibility to a culture he had lost in order to make films about life in the Sri Lankan village. Yet he is grateful because it has brought him closer to his roots. He says, “The key is you have to possess sympathy for any life.”
Lester views three of his films as significant challenges – `Sandesaya`, `God King` and `Puran Appu`. “When you are used to making films on what I term a miniature scale, dealing with one family and small sets, and you open up to the giant world of the wide screen with horses and masses of people, it is totally different. I should have learnt from the trouble I had on `Sandesaya` to keep away from epics. We don`t have the resources and finances for such productions,” explains Lester.
Most Significant
Of his films, Lester considers `Rekava`, `Gamperaliya`, `Nidhanaya` and `Wekanda Walauwe` the most significant. “Lester has a wonderful ear for dialogue, which is much better than others who may be well versed in the subject. He is very sharp and precise, noticing any false note, ring or expression. I always say that the performances in his films are far more refined than in mine. He is a perfectionist, attending to every detail at that very instant,” says Sumitra.
Harsh Criticism
One harsh criticism stated that Lester had “castrated” the novel Baddegama in his movie representation. He rationalises, “The important point is that you must not be deflected nor influenced by critics. The natural reaction for a human being is to get hurt, especially when attacked unmercifully but one must not give in because often most of it comes out of prejudice. If they want to attack you, they will. People who praise you shouldn`t be taken too seriously either.”
Food Phobia
Lester has persistent digestion trouble where he cannot stomach any chilli in his food. He feels that six years of consuming a bland diet without curries in England may have been the cause. Furthermore, on location for `Sandesaya`, he contracted amoebic dysentery after drinking polluted water, followed by a bout of hepatitis just before filming `Gamperaliya`, which all weakened his digestive system. His doctors believe the problem to be psychological or a case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) but they amusingly query how Lester can still drink a little scotch whisky but can`t tolerate any chilli!
Lester believes, “When one is heavily into the arts, they are bound to have some psychological problem. The Greek play titled `The Wound and the Bow` about a great warrior who had an invincible bow but also an incurable wound supports this theory. If you possess some kind of talent, you have to pay for it in some other way.”
Hobbies
He is also passionate about his pastimes of reading, listening to music and watching films. He is liberal with his taste in music and films, enjoying work about any subject, from any genre and in any language. He appreciates the classics as well as action movies and even rap music. As he puts it, “From Bach to the Beatles to Bollywood, I love them all.”
Directors he admires are the Danish Carl Dreyer who made a few spiritual films like Joan of Arc and the Japanese Ozu to whom Lester is often paralleled with. Ozu made almost 60 films based on the Japanese family. Utilising a single static camera placed in order to observe scenes from the tatami position, the films are austere with beautiful acting. There are lots of shots and the rhythm of the film lies in the cutting.
His all-time favourite film, although he says it is difficult to decide, is `Citizen Kane` (1942) by Orson Welles. It was Welles` first film at the age of 25, which he produced, directed, wrote, and acted in. It is a highly sophisticated piece which is still number one in the World Film Critics` list of ten best movies. —Official site
