简介：PuraHandaKaluwara(DeathonaFullMoonDay) HowwarhasshatteredthelifeofaSriLankanvillage WrittenanddirectedbyPrasannaVithanage ByPiyaseeliWijegunasinghe 29February2000 PrasannaVithanage'sfilmPuraHandaKaluwarahasbeenshownatfilmfestivalsinNorthAmerica,EuropeandAsiabuthasyettobereleasedinSriLankawhereitiscertaintoprovokecontroversy.Thereasonisclear.PuraHandaKaluwara(DeathonaFullMoonDay)dealswiththedevastationofpeople'slivescausedbythebrutal16-yearwarcarriedoutbytheSriLankanstateagainsttheTamilslivingintheNorthoftheisland. ThewriterofthisreviewwasonlyabletoseethisfilmbyattendingtheFestivalofRecentSriLankanFilms(14-18February)heldattheAllianceFrançaise—aninstitutionconnectedtotheFrenchembassyinSriLanka.Atthisfestivalavideoofthefilmwasprojectedontoalargerscreen,andithastobestatedherethatthismannerofviewingthefilmpreventsthiswriterfromdoingitfulljustice.DespitethisdisadvantageitisclearthatVithanage'sfilmisapowerfulworkandonethatwillresonatewithallthoseconfrontingtheescalatingnumberoftragediesproducedbyawarthathasclaimedatleast55,000livesandleftmanymoremaimed,homelessandpovertystricken. PuraHandaKaluwara,whichwasproducedonabudgetofonlyUS$80,000,isoneofthosefewseriousmoviesmadeeachyearinSriLanka.Self-assuredandsensitivedirectionbyPrasannaVithanageandanextraordinaryperformancebyveteranactorJoeAbeywickramaasVannihamy,thefilm'smaincharacter,combinetoproduceanintenselydramaticstoryaboutoneman'sstrugglewiththetragediescausedbythewar. ThefilmtellsthestoryofVannihamy,anelderlyfarmerfromoneoftheSinhalavillagesinthenortherndryzoneofSriLanka.Intheopeningsequencesweseealandparchedbyalongdrought,andthevillagers,includingVannihamy,undergoinggreathardshipduetothescarcityofwater.Vannihamy,eventhoughheisblind,isanexperiencedfarmerandpredictsthatraincanbeexpectedwithinfourdays.Heenliststhehelpofhisfutureson-in-lawtoreinforcehismudhut'sdecayedthatchingtowithstandthemonsoon'sdownpour. Vannihamyhastwodaughtersandason.Theelderdaughter,Sumana(NayanaHettiarchchci),hasmarriedandmovedawayfromhome.Sunanda(PriyankaSamaraweera),theyoungerdaughter,liveswiththefatherinexpectationofhermarriagetoayoungmaninthevillage.Vannihamy'sonlysonhasjoinedthearmyfightingintheNorth. Thefilmbeginswiththesoundofgathas—Buddhistdoctrinalversesthatarerhythmicallychanted.TheinfluencethatBuddhismwieldsoverpeoplecomesinforsharpcriticismlaterinthefilm.ClearlythischantingisintendedtogivethefilmvieweranawarenessofthegreatdisparitybetweenBuddhism'smannerofcomprehendinglifeandtherealityofacountryravagedbywar.Thedoctrinalverseschantedheresignifythatthe“Triple-Gem”(Buddha,hisdoctrineandhisdisciples—themonks)willblessthebelieverandprotecthimfromevil.Thechantingofthestanzasmerelyasanaccompanyingbackgroundrhythmatthebeginningofthefilmdoesnothavethepotentialtoconveytothevieweranyothermeaningthanthetraditionalone.Onemayevensaythatthechanting,whichiscarriedbythewindandreverberatesinthedistanthorizonsofthevillage,couldhavetheirage-oldtraditionaleffectonanunwaryviewer—tolullmanintounthinkingacceptanceofanysocialatrocityperpetratedonhim. Fullmoonday—adayofimmensereligioussignificancetoBuddhists—arrives.Buddhistsconsiderthisadayinwhich“universalahimsa”(noharmperpetratedonanylivingbeing)shouldprevail.Itisonthisday,whenserenityissupposedtoreignsupremeinthethoughts,deedsandwordsofmankind,thatthecoffinsaidtobecarryingVannihamy'ssonarrivesinthevillage. ThefilmdealsprincipallywithVannihamy'sreactionstohisson'sdeath,especiallyhisrefusaltobelieve—againstallevidencetothecontrary—thathissonhasbeenkilledinthewar.Vannihamyalsorejectsthemoneygivenbythestateascompensationtomembersofadeadsoldier'sfamily. Theidea,whichprovidesthefilm'sessentialfoundation,isthatthewarragingintheNorthisnotconsideredbythepeopletobetheirwar.Noneofthecharactersrepresentingordinarypeoplespeakpassionatelyabouteithertakingpartinthewarorwinningit.Itiscertainlysomethingoutsidethepaleoftheirdeep-feltneeds,butwhichatthesametimehasinsidiouslymanagedtobecomea“necessaryevil”—awaytoearnaliving,whenconditionsoflifeareextremelydifficultandproblematic. Theonlycharacterweseemakingapro-war,patrioticspeechistheBuddhistmonkfromthevillagetemplewho,accompaniedbyafewvillagers,visitsthebereavedVannihamy.ThemonksuggeststhatthevillagersshouldhonorVannihamy'sson,asoldierwhohaslaiddownhislifeforthemotherland,bybuildingabusshelterinhisname.Vannihamyoff-handedlyrepliesthatabusshelterwouldbebeneficialtopeoplenomatterwhyitwasbuilt. Thefilmmakesclearthatthevillagersonlyconsiderjoiningthearmywhentheyareindesperateeconomicstraits.Vannihamy'sfutureson-in-law,forexample,saysthatthewaythingsarehetoowillhavetojointhearmy.Vannihamy'ssonhadenlistedwiththesoleaimofprovidingforhisfamily—buildingabetterhome,ensuringadecentmarriageforhisyoungersister.Alettertheyoungmansentfromthefront,whichthefamilyreceivesafterhisdeath,expresseshisdesiretoreturnhomesoonsohecansettoworkonthosetasks. Vannihamyhangsontothisletterbecauseitreinforcesthebeliefthathastakenrootinhimthathissonisnotdead.Thecoffinarrivessealedbytheauthorities,andthefactthatnoonecanseethesoldier'smortalremainsalsostrengthenstheoldman'sconviction.Vannihamy'srefusaltobelieveinhisson'sdeathisalsoboundupwithhisownattitudetolife.Hehas,toallappearances,triumphedoverhisterriblephysicalhandicap,blindness.Onlyoncedoweseehimasanenfeebledman—whenhefallsinthefieldandiscarriedhomebythevillagers.Atothertimeshisagility,alertnessandconfidencearesuchthatthespectatorforgetsthatheisblind.Heeasilystandsoutasthestrongestcharacterinthefilm.Vannihamy'sbeliefinhisabilitytotriumphoverdifficultiesleadshimtobelievethesameabouthisson.Hesaysthatthebloodwhichranthroughtheveinsofhisfamily'sforefathersrunsthroughhisownandhisson'sveinstoo. Afewdaysbeforeanalms-givingceremonyistobeheldinmemoryofthedeadyoungman,twosoldiersemergefromthedarknessatnightandapproachVannihamy,seatedinfrontofhishut,totellhimthatthey'vebroughtadonationtowardsthealms-giving.Theyexplainthatmembersofhisson'sarmyunithavecontributedtothedonation.Weseetheoldmanstrugglingtofaceuptothisnewandirrefutableproofofhisson'sdeath.Thisisthemostemotionallypowerfulmomentinthefilm. Earlynextday,astheeasternskyglintscoldlywithstreaksofmorninglight,weseeVannihamyshoulderinghismamoty(spade)andapparentlyheadingtowardsthefields.Wewonderwhetherhehasfinallybroughthimselftoacceptthefactofhisson'sdeath,butsomethingunexpectedtakesplace.Vannihamymakeshiswaytohisson'sgraveandstartsdiggingitup.AyoungwomanwhocomestothevillagetanktofetchwaterseesVannihamyandinformsthevillagers.TheyrushtothesceneandtakeonthejobofunearthingthecoffinthemselvesclearlywiththeintentoflayingtorestthedoubtsassailingVannihamy.Theyretrievethecoffin,breakthesealandopenit.Vannihamy,whoisalerttoeverythinggoingon,eagerlyfingersthecontents.Allthatisinthecoffinaresomepiecesofwoodandalargestone—nothingthatcouldprovethedeathofVannihamy'sson.AsheleavesthegraveyardVannihamyisneitheradefeatedmannorspirituallybroken.Itisclearthathestillbelieveshissonisalive. Vannihamy'sstubbornrefusaltobelievethathissonisnolongeramongthelivingevokesstrongfeelingsinthespectator.Theoldman'srefusaltobelieveinhisson'sdeathbecomescompletelyplausibleonlywhenitisviewedastheresultofanunconsciousprotectivemechanismoperatingagainsttheunbearablerealityofhisson'sdeath. Itshouldbeemphasized,however,thatVannihamyisnotmerelyatragicfigure.Thereisanobilitytohischaracterthattheothervillagersfindalmostimpossibletounderstand.Thisqualityexpressesitselfaboveallinhisrefusaltoacceptthemoneyhandedoutbythestateascompensationforhisson'sdeath.Vannihamy'sdeepattachmenttohissonmakesitimpossibleforhimtofaceuptothelatter'sdeath.ThissameloveandakeensenseofspiritualdignitystandsinthewayofVannihamy'sacceptingthemoney.“Whatifmysoncomeshomeafterweacceptthemoney;howcanwefacehim?”heasks. ThoughVannihamymayevenappeartotheothersasslightlymad,thereisaprofoundhumanelogicinthestandhetakes.Theyoungmanhadgonetowarseeingitastheonlymeansthroughwhichhisdreamscouldberealized.Itwashisson'sdreamofhappiness.Toacceptthemoneypaidascompensationforhisdeathwouldbeabetrayal,notonlyoftheyoungman,butalsoofthedreamshecherished. OncethecoffinhasbeenopenedVannihamyisnolongernaggedbyhisrelativesorharassedbythevillage'sgovernmentofficertoacceptthecompensationmoney.Afterbreakingtheofficialsealonthecoffinitisnolongerpossibletoapplyforthemoney. InthefinalsequencesofthefilmweseeVannihamyaswesawhimatthebeginning—aconfidentmanatpeacewithhimself.Hecomestothevillagetanktofetchwater,andlistenseagerlytoarippleoflaughtercomingfromthechildrenbathingintheriver.Ascarcelyperceptiblesmilecomestohislips—perhapsheremembershowhissonusedtoplayintheriver.Heretheexpectantyetdeeplymelancholicmood,whichhadtillthenhadgrippedVannihamyaswellasthespectator,seemstoslackenasanunexpecteddownpourpattersonVannihamy'sshoulders. Thisdeceptivelysimplefilm,whichhasbeenwidelypraisedatmanyinternationalfilmfestivals,makesclearthatthewarhasnopopularsupportbuthasbeenunexpectedlyandforciblyfoistedbytheSriLankanstateontothepeople,includingthepoverty-strickenSinhalafarmerslivingintheNorth.ItshouldbeseenbyallthoseseekingtounderstandthehumanconsequencesofSriLanka'scivilwar.…