‘Bambaru Avith’ in Cannes Classics
Digitally restored film among 25 world classics
Sri Lanka’s 1978 auteur film ‘Bambaru Avith’ (The Wasps Are Here) directed by Dr. Dharmasena Pathiraja has been selected as one of the 25 Classics in the world at the renowned Cannes Film Festival in France. The sole-surviving 35mm film positive of the film has undergone 4K film and sound restoration carried out by L’Immagine Ritrovata and it is to be featured this year’s Cannes Classics 2020. Presented by Asian Film Archive, the raw and restored 4K scans, a new 35mm picture and sound negatives, and a new positive print of the restored version of the film have been produced and are preserved by the Archives.
Since the beginning of the 2000s, the Festival de Cannes created Cannes Classics, a selection allowing to display the work of valorization of heritage cinema carried out by production companies, rightowners, cinematheques or national archives from around the world. “Now an essential component of the Official Selection, in a dimension to the history of cinema from which many international festivals have got inspired, Cannes Classics presents the masterpieces and rarities of the history of cinema in restored copies,” festival organisers announced.
“Because the Festival de Cannes also provides itself with the means of achieving the mission of enchanting the relationship of today’s audience with the memory of cinema, Cannes Classics sets the prestige of the biggest festival in the world at the service of rediscovered cinema, accompanying all the new exploitations of great works from the past: theatrical releases, DVDs / Blurays, distribution on platforms or on VOD”.
The programme of Cannes Classics 2020 edition consists of twenty-five feature films and seven documentaries.
This year’s Cannes film festival which was scheduled to be held from May 12 to 23 did not take place in its original format due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since the Festival de Cannes did not take place, Cannes Classics 2020 will be hosted, in whole or in part, by the festival Lumière in Lyon from October 10- 18, and by the Rencontres Cinématographiques de Cannes from November, 23 to 26, the festival announced.
Interestingly the festival organisers referred to Pathirja’s ‘Bambaru Avith’, as “an unknown masterpiece from Sri Lanka”,
Among the list of 25 films are “In the Mood for love” by Wong Kar- wai, “Friendship’s Death” ( 1987, United Kingdom) by Peter Wollen, “The Story of a Three- Day Pass” ( La Per mission) (1967,France) by Melvin Van Peebles, ‘Get Out Your Handkerchiefs’ (1977, France) by Bertrand Blier, ‘Hester Street’ (1973, USA) by Joan Micklin Silver ‘New Year Sacrifice’ (1956, China) by Hu Sang, ‘La Poupée’ (1962, France) by Jacques Baratier, ‘ The Hourglass Sanatory’ ( 1973, Poland) by Wojciech J. Has, L’Amérique insolite ( America as Seen by a Frenchman) ( 1959, France) by François Reichenbach, ‘Deveti krug’ (The Ninth Circle / Neuvième cercle) ( 1960, Croatia) by France Štiglic, and Muhammad Ali the Greatest ( 1974, France) by William Klein.
The selection of ‘ Bambaru Avith’ is a much deserving international recognition. Pathiraja follows Dr. Lester James Peries who received the same recognition for his ‘ Gam Peraliya’ ( The changing village) in 2008. The French Embassy celebrated this event by screening the restored copy ‘Gamperaliya’ in Colombo.
Bambaru Avith’ centres on exploitation of the poor and confrontation of capitalist and Marxist influenced doctrines. Set in the coastal village of Kalpitya, a local “boss” exploits the fisherman until a group of leftist youths challenge him. Their representative attempts to hold a speech before the villagers but attracts little interest and the empty square is representative of futility of his effort and he departs for the city. Meanwhile a police post, the representation of authority is being set up in another part of the village.
Produced by Pathiraja himself and Thilak Godamanne for Saranga Salaroo, ‘Bambaru Avith’ represented Sri Lanka at 1978 Moscow International Film Festival, screened at Mostra and Los Angeles Film Festivals, won Presidential awards for the
Best Film and Best Director – 1979 and OCIC awards for Best Film and Best Director – 1979 among others and it was named the fourth Best Film made in the first 50 years of Sri Lankan film history.
Influenced by the European “New Wave” of the 1960s, Pathiraja’s gritty black- andwhite dramas, took completely different
route from the popular Sri Lankan films, photocopies of South Indian or North Indian-Bollywood formats. Pathiraja’s masterpiece, explores tradition, exploitation and the perhaps unintended consequences of capitalism through the clash between a local boss and an urban interloper in a tiny fishing village.