Table book for
Acoffee-table-book on the life and works of pioneer female filmmaker of Sri Lanka Sumithra Peiris was launched on Wednesday. ‘Sumithra- Ada Siyawasaka Advitheeya Cinema Jeewitha Kathawa’ (Sumithra- Half a century of a great life story in cinema) written by renowned film critic Ajith Galappaththi will cover in depth analysis on the works of great female editor and director and different characters that influenced her life. The book includes a note on all the stars that played in her film and the technical crew, local and international awards she won, songs that were sung in her films and a collection of newspaper articles on her journey in cinema.
A limited edition release that contains around 175 rare photographs featuring Sumithra is being published by well-known publisher Prem Dissanayake.
At last week’s book launch held at the Hilton Residencies was in appreciation of Sumithra Peiris’s contribution to the film industry, a commemorative stamp and a first day cover was also released. The book launch was organised by Sangeetha Weeraratne and Sherin Kumaratunga.
The coffee-table-book ‘Sumithra- Ada Siyawasaka Advitheeya Cinema Jeewitha Kathawa’ will be released to the public at the International Book Fair on September 20 at the BMICH in Colombo. At this launch award winning actress Swarna Mallawarachchi, Deepthi Gunaratne and Minister Dinesh Gunawardena will deliver talks of themes like female characters depicted in Sumithra’s films, feminism in her cinema and the ancestry of this great filmmaker.
This is Ajith Galappaththi’s fourth book on Sri Lankan cinema. He is currently conducting researches on cinema while reading for his post-graduate studies on social science, Ajith is the head of Sinhala section of the Ogilvy Advertising firm.