Comments on: Celluloid Nationalism in Sri Lanka

By: ethnichybrid

ethnichybrid — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 10:43:46 +0000

In the West, even in current times, every so often you get a film about the Crusades. There the Muslim infidel is the other, the priests are hand in glove with the Western kingdom, and legitimize the violence that is perpetrated in the name of religion. I see a lot of similarity in the current Buddhist interpretation in Sri Lanka of legitimacy, right of rule, and glorifying a mythical past. But to me what is ironic, is that both Christianity and Islam can find legitimacy for violence within their belief systems. But Buddhism does not. So it is doubly outrageous that both the monkhood and statehood foster and encourage the violence in the name of Buddhism that we see now.

By: Jayalath

Jayalath — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 22:56:51 +0000

I cannot imagine where are we now ,what made these people to be so stupid . There isnt any thing wrong of educating and reminding about our history or patriots to the present generation , but when it exhibits in ridiculous way which brings us ashame .
I do not know who does or whose those ideas , I only can say , please do not let others to laugh at us . We are living at the dawn of 21st century not in the stone age ,therefore if you do not know where the stand of world right now , please leave it to a suitable character to do so . Without rouse the devil in us .

This artical further stress about the legitimisation of militarised Buddhism , this notion alone has lot of derogatory to the Buddhism and Buddhist , because this is not what Buddha showed us . I would refuse without hesitating any type of race or religious purposes in a country as if we take away the religion and race from us that we all will automatically become same human and what our needs are the almost similar , so what we are segregated is the religion .

Our country is not a dhammadipa to my knoledge which is a dipaya of free murderers and Bigots .therefore please open our people’s eyes , do not deceive them further with nonsenses .

By: Jack Point

Jack Point — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 17:09:29 +0000

This regime has been an ardent supporter of local cinema, which has been the recipient of generous tax breaks and subsidies. New tax concessions for cinema have been announced at almost every budget since 2006,

The latest subsidiy is the Tele-cinema park.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mahinda-Rajapaksa-National-Tele-Cinema-Park/109275805761977

The result is what this researcher has observed. Very neat, very machiavellian.

By: sbarrkum

sbarrkum — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 15:40:07 +0000

What about comparison to the early movies on Cowboys/White settlers versus Indians in the US.

The white settlers trying to make an honest living by running a farm versus the the treacherous, savage, hair scalping Indian.

By: karl singham

karl singham — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 16:38:24 +0000

The author writes
“In the recent past we have seen the grand dramatization of several episodes in the vamsic account of Sri Lankan history. These include Abá (2008), Mahindagamanaya (2011) and Vijaya Kuweni (2012), which are now complemented by the recent release of Siri Parakum. This article is not a critique of the artistic value of the film Siri Parakum. It is a beautiful piece of cinematography with several wonderful performances.
The film may well be an artistic triumph as the author claims but so is the analysis by the author.He could follow tis article with follow up with a comparative of these films and those of Leni Riefenstahl and others of her cohorts in Germany earlier in the last century.Oh,the similarity between that Gernany and our Sri Lanka seems to be getting ever-closer both in the writings of not only certain scurrilous propagandista who pass of as journalists as well as certain scholars –need I mention names?–and now film-makers.Is the Mahavamsa our Mien Kamp?