Flying Fish: Sanjeewa denies links with Tamil diaspora
Sanjeewa Pushpakumara who directed the much-talked about film ‘Flying Fish’ has responded to various allegations circulating around his film saying at no point in his life did he have any links with the Tamil diaspora either directly or indirectly.
In a media statement Pushpakumara said he had never accepted funds or donations from either the LTTE or NGOs for the production or for the post-production of his film Flying Fish.
The statement said that he never intended to insult or portray a defamatory image of the Sri Lankan security forces through his film.
“My only intention was to present the realistic circumstances of the war-torn lives artistically and truthfully in a broad humanist angle. The inspiration for this film is derived from my own life and that of my family and friends. The film narrates my direct or indirect personal experiences and relationships with different people who entered and departed from my life. Being a person growing-up in a border area, I thankfully enjoy the benefits the conclusion of the dreadful 30-year long war has brought. However, it is those brutal experiences of the war that I was forced to witness and experience directly while growing-up as a child, that ultimately became the
The statement said that he never intended to insult or portray a defamatory image of the Sri Lankan security forces through his film.
subject matter for this film,” Pushpakumara said
The statement revealed that he grew up in a border village which was controlled by the security forces during the day and by the LTTE during the night, while under those circumstances he was forced to notice how the lives of the ordinary people, who were not involved with the army, were becoming militarized, and how that militarization led towards creating insecurity and vulnerability in the society.
“I understand that the impressions I created on screen may not agree with the images of the war and the military that the government has constructed and want to create. However we cannot forget this unfortunate and harsh reality, because this fragmented life is the real building blocks of our tomorrow. So, isn’t it necessary to accept this reality of the situation if we are to move forward? My intention was to transform that reality into a social discourse,” he said.
Also commenting Pushpakumara added that Flying Fish contains three narratives related to the experiences of people living in a war-torn society whose lives were consciously or unconsciously scared by the brutality of war.
“Their lives were overwhelmed by the war. So, I wanted to include these narratives that I experienced in my life through an artistic creation. My intention was never to support any particular group or to condemn another. What I wanted to portray through my experiences were the nature of the misdeeds taking place during an armed conflict and the damage they cause to
I understand that the impressions I created on screen may not agree with the images of the war and the military that the government has constructed and want to create
humanity. I wanted to highlight the harm and the devastation that happened to human lives, and this was not done with the intention of glorifying this ‘devastation’ but with the wish of sowing the idea of overcoming it in the society. Flying Fish is not a fiction. It is an expression of broken lives and the remains of a war-torn society,” Pushpakumara said.