Sumitra Peries
Encyclopedia
Sumitra Peries is a Sri Lanka
n filmmaker and Sri Lanka's Ambassadar to France
in late 1990s. Her most popular film is Ganga Addara
and married to a famous film director Lester James Peries
.
When Sumitra was 14 years her mother died. At that time her brother, Gamini, five years elder to her and sister, Chandralatha, four years elder than her, and also younger brother Ranjith. After the tragedy of their mother's death her elder brother Gamini went to south of France and lived in a yacht with a French painter.
Sumitra began her education in Avissawella, then later enrolled to Visakha Vidyalaya
in Colombo and finally joined the Aquinas College Colombo to do the London Advanced Level.
At the age of 20 Sumitra find some amount of money and travelled to Europe by ship to meet her elder brother Gamini there to build her own career there.
at the Cannes Film Festival and Lester advised her to study movie making in London rather than in France.
She studied film making at the London School of Film Technique and was awarded a Diploma in Film Direction and Production (1957–1959). She was the only woman studying this subject there at that time. After passing out, she began working at Mai Harris, a subtitling firm for a short period and returned home in Sri Lanka.
Sumitra's brother Gamini contacted Lester and checked the possibility of her sister to work with him. Lester agreed and Sumitra started the work as assistant director in his second film Sandesaya
. A filmmaking company called Cinelanka was established in 1963 with Anton Wickramasinghe also Lester and Sumitra as major shareholders.
In the 1980s Sumitra was a member of the Presidential Commission for two years to conducted an inquiry into Sri Lanka's film sector regarding all aspects of the industry such as its troubles, statistics, public opinions and recommendations.
She was in charge of production for Worldview International in Sri Lanka in period of 1988-1990. Also during the period of late 1980s and early 1990s, she was a member of the Board of Management of the Institute of Aesthetique Studies, Kelaniya University, Sri Lanka and Prof A J Gunewardena was the Director General of the Institute at that time.
Sumitra has been working as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to France
won the award for the best film director in fifty (50) years of Sri Lankan cinema.
Best Director:
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n filmmaker and Sri Lanka's Ambassadar to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in late 1990s. Her most popular film is Ganga Addara
Ganga Addara
Ganga Addara was a 1980 Sinhalese language film directed by Sumitra Peiris and produced by Sumathi Films. The film stars Vasanthi Chathurani and late Vijaya Kumaratunga in the lead roles. Adapted from a novel by Letitia Botejue, its script was written by veteran director Tissa Abeysekara...
and married to a famous film director Lester James Peries
Lester James Peries
Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries is an internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, and film producer. An active filmmaker since 1949, Peries has been involved in over 28 films, including shorts and documentaries...
.
Early life
Sumitra Gunawardena (birth name) was born on March 24, 1935 to a Marxist family known as Boralugoda Gunewardenas in Avissawella. Her father, Henry (better known as Harry) Gunawardena was a proctor in Avissawella and mother, Harriette Wickramasinghe was from a middle class family. Three of Sumitra's relatives - Dinesh Gunawardena, Geethanjana Gunawardena and Prasanna Gunawardena are still in Sri Lankan politics today.When Sumitra was 14 years her mother died. At that time her brother, Gamini, five years elder to her and sister, Chandralatha, four years elder than her, and also younger brother Ranjith. After the tragedy of their mother's death her elder brother Gamini went to south of France and lived in a yacht with a French painter.
Sumitra began her education in Avissawella, then later enrolled to Visakha Vidyalaya
Visakha Vidyalaya
Visakha Vidyalaya is a girls school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a public school controlled by the central government providing primary and secondary education.-History:...
in Colombo and finally joined the Aquinas College Colombo to do the London Advanced Level.
At the age of 20 Sumitra find some amount of money and travelled to Europe by ship to meet her elder brother Gamini there to build her own career there.
Career
With advice of her brother Gamini she studied French in Laussanne, Switzerland in 1950s. She met Lester there and he was to screen his first film RekavaRekava
Rekava is a 1956 film based on village life and their mythical beliefs in Sri Lanka . It is the first Sinhalese film which was fully shot in Ceylon and was the first in the country to be shot outdoors. It was also the first film which was free from Indian influence...
at the Cannes Film Festival and Lester advised her to study movie making in London rather than in France.
She studied film making at the London School of Film Technique and was awarded a Diploma in Film Direction and Production (1957–1959). She was the only woman studying this subject there at that time. After passing out, she began working at Mai Harris, a subtitling firm for a short period and returned home in Sri Lanka.
Sumitra's brother Gamini contacted Lester and checked the possibility of her sister to work with him. Lester agreed and Sumitra started the work as assistant director in his second film Sandesaya
Sandesaya
Sandesaya is a 1960 film. The film based on the war between the Sri Lankan people and the Portuguese invaders in Sri Lanka. It was directed by Sri Lankan film director Lester James Peries. It was produced by K...
. A filmmaking company called Cinelanka was established in 1963 with Anton Wickramasinghe also Lester and Sumitra as major shareholders.
In the 1980s Sumitra was a member of the Presidential Commission for two years to conducted an inquiry into Sri Lanka's film sector regarding all aspects of the industry such as its troubles, statistics, public opinions and recommendations.
She was in charge of production for Worldview International in Sri Lanka in period of 1988-1990. Also during the period of late 1980s and early 1990s, she was a member of the Board of Management of the Institute of Aesthetique Studies, Kelaniya University, Sri Lanka and Prof A J Gunewardena was the Director General of the Institute at that time.
Sumitra has been working as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
won the award for the best film director in fifty (50) years of Sri Lankan cinema.
Filmography
Sumitra Peries latest cinema venture is Yahaluwo (Best Friends) released in December 2007.International awards
- Carthage International Film Festival - Gehenu Lamai - Diploma of Merit (1978), shared the jury award with Mirinal Sen of India.
- London Film Festival - Gehenu Lamai - Outstanding Film of the Year (1978)
- South Asian Film Festival in Tokyo, Japan - Ganga AddaraGanga AddaraGanga Addara was a 1980 Sinhalese language film directed by Sumitra Peiris and produced by Sumathi Films. The film stars Vasanthi Chathurani and late Vijaya Kumaratunga in the lead roles. Adapted from a novel by Letitia Botejue, its script was written by veteran director Tissa Abeysekara...
- Diploma - Moscow International Film Festival - Yahalu Yeheli - Diploma (1984), purchased by a German television channel in 1986
- Filmex International Film Festival, Los Angeles - Yahalu Yeheli - Diploma (1985)
- International Film Festival, Tokyo - Sagara Jalaya - One of the Ten Best Films, purchased by a Japanese television station
- Nantes International Film Festival - Loku Duwa - Diploma (1993)
- Fukuoka International Film Festival - Loku Duwa (1994)
- London Film Festival - Duwata Mawaka Misa - Diploma (1998)
- International Film Festival, India - Duwata Mawaka Misa (1998)
- Fukuoka International Film Festival - Duwata Mawaka Misa (1998)
- Golden Lotus - Deauville Award for "Contribution to Asian Cinema" (2001)
National awards
Best Editor:- Gamperaliya - Sarasaviya Film Awards (1964)
- Delovak Athara - Sarasaviya Film Awards (1967)
- Ahasin Polawata - Presidential Awards (1979) & OCIC Awards (1979)
- Bakmaha Deege - Critics Awards (1971)
Best Director:
- Ganga Addara - Sarasaviya Film Awards (1981) & Presidential Awards (1981)
- Yahalu Yeheli - Presidential Awards (1983) & OCIC Awards (1983)
- Maya - Sarasaviya Film Awards (1984) & National Award for Best Film and Best Director in 1986.
- Sagara Jalaya - OCIC Awards (1989) & Swarna Sanka Awards (1988)
- Loku Duwa - Presidential Awards (1989) & Sarasaviya Silver Jubilee Awards (1988)
- Duwata Mawaka Misa Presidential Awards (1996)
- Zonta Arthur C Clark Award for Communication (1988)
- Rana Thisara Lifetime Achievement Award (1993)