PPB seeks AG’S advice on ‘Igilena malu’
It would seek the Attorney General’s advice on the future course of action
Amid the controversy over the screening of the Sinhala film ‘Igilena Malu’ (Flying Fish) at a French Film Festival last week, the Public Performance Board (PPB) said yesterday it would seek the Attorney General’s advice on the future course of action for approving foreign film festivals to be held in Sri Lanka.
PPB Chairman Gamini Sumanasekara said the PPB would seek legal advice on the provisions available to the PPB because at present
it was unable to take action with regard to the screening of films that might contain material not agreeable to local audiences at foreign film festivals held in Sri Lanka.
The French Film festival organized by its Embassy was scheduled to be held between June 18 and July 14 at the BMICH but it was suspended as it was subjected to criticism and controversy following last Thursday’s screening of the Sinhala movie ‘Flying Fish’ directed by local filmmaker Sanjeewa Pushpakumara.
The controversy arose because it was reported to have featured degrading and offensive contents on the Sri Lankan armed forces. The BMICH Board of Management announced they suspen- ded the French Film Festival ‘on account of the contents and the sentiments contained in the film’.
The Defence Ministry too has launched an investigation into the film and its contents. Media Centre for National Security Director General Lakshman Hulugalle commenting on the investigation said this film’s contents reportedly depicted an offensive and derogatory image of the Sri Lankan armed forces.
“Therefore, we have decided to launch an investiga-
The French Film festival organized by the French Embassy of France, was scheduled to be held between June 18 and July 14 at the BMICH but was suspended
tion into its contents,” he said.
The BMICH Board of Management, while apologizing to the general public and the armed forces for permitting the film to be screened at their premises, said approval to screen the movie at the BMICH premises was based solely upon the certification given by the PPB and under the assumption that ‘the foreign organisers of such events would respect and honour the social, historical and cultural sensitivities of the people of the host country.’
Meanwhile, the French Embassy in a media statement expressed its regret over the embarrassment caused to the
The Embassy received from the Public Performances Board the certifications authorising the screening of all these movies. The conditions for the sereening have been respected
French Spring partners and sponsors over the suspension of the Film Festival.
“The Embassy received from the Public Performances Board the certifications authorising the screening of all these movies. The conditions put to the screening of “Flying Fish” such as its one time only presentation to a selected, invited audience without children have been respected,” the media statement read.
However, despite the French Embassy and the BMICH both pointing towards the certification allegedly issued by the PPB to screen the film - PPB Chairman G. Sumanasekara claimed he had not given any such certification.
“The PPB never at any point gave any ‘approval’ for the French Embassy to screen the movies. We do not have the authority to grant approval for film screenings carried out by the cultural wings of various embassies because they are not public screenings and are limited to invitees or their members. So we are only informed of the screenings but we do not have any say over the contents that are screened. The French Embassy did make a request to categorise the films due to be screened and we did issue an X-rate on the movie in question, restricting children from attending the screening,” he said. Mr. Sumanasekara said the PPB was entitled with legal provisions to grant approval only for paid and public screenings.