The Forsaken Land (2005)

Weary residents (Soma, Lata, Piyasiri) of a war-ravaged country drift through life.

Director:

Vimukthi Jayasundara

Writer:

Vimukthi Jayasundara

Stars:

Kaushalaya Fernando, Nilupili Jayawardena, Hemasiri Liyanage

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Kaushalaya Fernando	...	Soma
Nilupili Jayawardena	...	Lata
Hemasiri Liyanage	...	Piyasiri
Saumya Liyanage	...	Palitha
Pumudika Sapurni Peiris	...	Batti
Mahendra Perera

Storyline

Anura (Mahendra Perera) is a loyal soldier tainted by the tedium of a service he has forgotten how to define. His only company at the remote outpost is an alcoholic soldier named Piyasiri (Hemasiri Liyanage), whom he sees in passing as they trade shifts. Anura finds that even the prankish behavior of the infrequently passing soldiers isn't enough to offset the numbing stillness of his eternal wait anymore. Even at home, the inertia of the emotionless landscape persists, and between disconnected sexual encounters with his disinterested wife, Lata (Nilupili Jayawardena), detached conversations with his single sister, Soma (Kaushalya Fernando), and the heart-breaking dejection of their young charge, Batti (Pumidika Sapurni Peiris), it appears as if, in this war-torn wasteland, hope is nothing more than forgotten emotion and routine is the only nourishment for a collection of sad, starved souls.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

Sri Lanka France

Language:

Sinhalese

Release Date:

25 January 2006 (France)

Also Known As:

The Forsaken Land

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arte France Cinéma, Digimage, Film Council Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Even though it won the Camera d'Or at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, the film was banned in its home country (Sri Lanka) by the UPFA Government of Mahinda Rajapakse in tandem with the Sri Lankan military. The filmmaker, Vimukthi Jayasundara, received death threats and relocated to France.

User Reviews

hypnotic tale with stunning visuals

Film is both dreamy vision and a gripping tale of very tangible people tottering on the brink of despair. The tale unfolds slowly, but stunning visuals are so rich with atmospheric detail that I felt richly rewarded for the time I spent watching the landscape and people. The sound design, as the NYTimes reviewer pointed out, is praiseworthy for its evocative use of offscreen sources. All performances are convincing, the young girl particularly charismatic. That Sri Lankan officials have apparently objected is hardly surprising, but as far as their military brass is concerned: it's hard to feel sympathy with toes stepped on when they're clad in sturdy, polished military boots.