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Restored 4K version of ‘Gehenu Lamai’ to premiere at 2025 Cannes Festival

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‘Gehenu Lamai’, directed by the late Dr. Sumitra Peries, will be screened next week in the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival, which will be held from May 13 to May 24 in Cannes, France, under the Cannes Classics category.

Released in 1978, ‘Gehenu Lamai’ is a Sri Lankan Sinhala teenage drama film directed by Sumitra Peries and produced by her husband, Lester James Peries, for Lester Films.

The restoration of ‘Gehenu Lamai’ was undertaken by the Film Heritage Foundation in association with the Dr. Lester James Peries and Sumitra Peries Foundation. It was funded by a grant provided by the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and the Embassy of France in India, under the aegis of FISCH (France- India – Sri Lanka Cine Heritage).

Sumitra Peries, the first female filmmaker in Sri Lanka and wife of Dr. Lester James Peries, also served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to France in the 1990s. She was decorated as a Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Government.

Born in 1934, she emerged to stardom in the country with over 10 films to her credit and expertise as a screenwriter, director, producer, and editor.

In a triumph for Sri Lanka’s film heritage, Sumitra Peries’ “Gehenu Lamai” (1978) restored by Film Heritage Foundation in association with the Lester James Peries and Sumitra Peries Foundation has been selected for a world premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2025.

The film has been restored under the aegis of FISCH: France- India – Sri Lanka Cine Heritage – Saving Film Across Borders – a pioneering international collaboration between Film Heritage Foundation, the Embassy of France and the French Institute in India and the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, dedicated to restoring and preserving cinematic heritage.

The selection of “Gehenu Lamai” for the 78th Cannes Film Festival marks the fourth year in a row that Film Heritage Foundation is returning to Cannes Classic, but its first with a Sri Lankan film.

Film Heritage Foundation’s earlier restorations – Aravindan Govindan’s “Thamp”, Aribam Syam Sharma’s “Ishanou” and Shyam Benegal’s “Manthan” had red-carpet world premieres at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Recognized as the Outstanding Film of the Year at the 1978 London Film Festival, the debut film of Sumitra Peries – referred to as the Poetess of Sri Lankan Cinema – tells the heartbreaking tale of two young sisters in a Sri Lankan village whose romantic dreams and aspirations are crushed by the class barrier and the conflict between tradition and progress. The poetic black and white imagery beautifully captures the confusion and fragility of adolescent love and yearning coupled with an outstanding performance by a 16 year-old Wasanthi Chathurani as Kusum in her debut role.

(adaderana.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by adaderana.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

Entertainment

Sri Lanka emerges as hotspot for Indian film shootings 

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Sri Lanka’s breathtaking locales are increasingly becoming the backdrop of choice for major Indian film productions, with top producers and directors actively seeking out the island’s scenic spots for upcoming projects.  

While Sri Lanka has long been a favored filming destination, industry analysts note that inadequate promotion has led some international productions to opt for other South Asian or European locations. 

However, recent high-profile shoots have put the country back in the spotlight.  

Tollywood sensation Vijay Deverakonda recently wrapped up filming a romantic sequence for Idhayam Ulle Vaa in the coastal charm of Galle and the iconic Arcade Independence Square. 

Meanwhile, Tamil cinema heavyweights Sivakarthikeyan and Ravi Mohan (formerly Jayam Ravi) shot key scenes for their upcoming movie Parasakthi at Colombo’s historic Kollupitiya Railway Station and other scenic spots.  

Recognizing the growing interest, Sri Lankan tourism authorities are stepping up efforts to position the island as a top filming hub. Last year, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) made a strong pitch at Mumbai’s India International Film Tourism Conclave—the country’s premier film tourism event—showcasing the nation’s diverse landscapes and cultural heritage.  

With Indian film makers showing renewed enthusiasm, industry insiders believe Sri Lanka is poised to reclaim its status as a premier destination for international cinema.  

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‘Queen of Sri Lankan Cinema’ bids adieu (Pics)

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The funeral of Malini Fonseka, revered as the ‘Queen of Sri Lankan Cinema’, was held yesterday (May 26) under state patronage at the Independence Square, Colombo 7.
Thousands of fans yesterday paid last respects to her both at her residence in Madiwela and at Tharangani Hall, where her remains lay in state, before being taken to Independence Square.

The iconic actress passed away on May 24 at the age of 78, while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.

(Pics : Nirosha Jayawardena)

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Lilo and Stitch beat Tom Cruise in box office bonanza

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Disney’s live-action Lilo and Stitch remake and Tom Cruise’s supposedly final Mission: Impossible outing have opened as two of the biggest films of the year in a record-breaking weekend at the box office.

Lilo and Stitch, which revisits the 2002 animated family favourite, exceeded expectations with takings of $341m (£252m) around the world.

That made it the second highest opening of 2025 so far after A Minecraft Movie, Variety reported, and broke the record for the Memorial Day weekend in the US.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the eighth film in the franchise, also proved a hit with $190m (£140m) in ticket sales.

Cruise has been playing agent Ethan Hunt since 1996, and seemingly confirmed The Final Reckoning would be the last instalment by telling the Hollywood Reporter: “It’s the final! It’s not called ‘final’ for nothing.”

But some have doubts about whether it will really turn out to be the end.

The blockbuster has had some rave reviews, with the Guardian calling it a “wildly entertaining adventure” in a five-star review, and Vanity Fair describing it as “a worthy send-off”.

However, not everyone was blown away, with the Hollywood Reporter saying it’s “a disappointing farewell”, and Mashable saying the series risked going out with the “fizzled whimper of a message self-destructing in a tape deck”.

Meanwhile, Lilo and Stitch is the latest in a long line of live-action remakes of beloved Disney animations, and achieved the third-best box office opening behind 2019’s The Lion King and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, Variety said.

The new version stars Courtney B Vance and Zach Galifianakis alongside eight-year-old Maia Kealoha and a computer-generated cuddly runaway alien.

It has also had mixed reviews, being described as “jovial, zany, and sweet” by the Daily Beast, but a “mind-numbing abomination” by the Times.

(BBC News)

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