How a colonial-era journalist became the father of Sri Lankan cinema
In short: Lester James Peries grew up in an Anglicized household, watching Chaplin films on a toy projector. He never intended to become a director, yet he eventually revolutionized his nation's film industry by taking cameras outdoors and grounding his stories in the authentic, conflicted realities of rural Sri Lankan life.
Born in 1919 in Colombo, Lester James Peries was raised in a devout Roman Catholic family where English was the primary language. His early exposure to film was limited to foreign serials and silent movies projected by an 8mm Kodascope. Despite his later fame, he was never involved in school drama and initially pursued a career in journalism, writing for the Daily News and The Times of Ceylon. It was not until he moved to England in 1947 that his interest in filmmaking truly crystallized amidst the country's thriving amateur film club scene.
Peries' transition to professional cinema was encouraged by Ralph Keene, the head of the Government Film Unit in Ceylon. After returning home, Peries honed his craft through documentaries like Conquest in the Dry Zone before breaking away to form his own production company. His 1956 debut, Rekava, marked a turning point in national cinema. By shooting outdoors and focusing on village life, he broke from studio conventions, even though the film struggled commercially. His subsequent work, including Gamperaliya and Nidhanaya, earned international prestige, with the latter being recognized by the Cinémathèque Française as one of the century's top 100 films.
Throughout his career, which spanned from 1949 to 2006, Peries directed over 28 films, often collaborating with his wife, director Sumitra Peries. His contributions were recognized globally, earning him the Fellini Gold Medal from UNESCO and the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In his later years, the Lester James Peries and Sumitra Peries Foundation was established to preserve his vast archive of scripts, equipment, and personal memorabilia, ensuring his legacy as the father of Sri Lankan cinema continues to influence future generations of filmmakers.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Lester James Peries
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