简介：AmasterworkofSriLankancinema,thismovingsagaoffamilyandclassconflictwasmadebyLesterJamesPeries,hiscountry’sforemostfilmmakerandadirectormuchadmiredbyIndia’sSatyajitRay. GamperaliyaisregardedasacornerstoneofSriLankancinema,launchinguponitsreleasein1964‘arevolution,notonlyinthewayfilmsweremade,butalsointhecontent,’accordingtoproducerAntonWickramasinghe. PeriessoughtanalternativetotheBollywood-influencedmelodramasthatdominatedSriLanka’scommercialcinema,writingstoriesthatlookedatthestapleissuesofmelodramainamorenuancedway. Thefilm,adaptedfromanovelbyMartinWickramasinghe,focusesonPiyal,ateacherandmemberofthenewrisingmiddleclass,whofallsinlovewiththedaughterofhisvillage’sleadingaristocraticclan;thegirl’sparentsinsistuponamarriagetoastuffedshirtofherownclass,onethatshiftingsocialforcesarealreadyrenderingobsolete. GamperaliyaisfilmedinanelegantanduncoercivenarrativestylethathasbeencomparedtoSatyajitRay’sApuTrilogy;itsaestheticchoicesalsohaveamoraldimension:ateverylevel,thisisamovieabouttheimportanceofsettingasideillusionandexaggerationandseeingthingsastheyare.…