Slave Island and Us
By Sharni Jayawardene and Tarika Wickremeratne Going into Slave Island at first, we were told to expect animosity and suspicion. Two women venturing into the depths of the residential settlements, taking pictures…
Arts and Theatre
In conversation with Iranganie Serasinghe: Environmentalist and cinematic icon
Iranganie Serasinghe needs no introduction to many Sri Lankans. For decades she has graced stage, cinema and televisions with characters indelibly etched in memory. I grew up with Iranganie playing which over…
Recycling the plastic we throw to make a living: Nazaruddin’s work in Slave Island
On a walk down one of the many byroads of Slave Island during midday, we encountered a curious sight: a fairly elderly man wearing a sarong and a dusty green cap, sitting…
Paper: The incredible story of Uthayan in Jaffna
How does a taxi driver take the sick to the hospital when there’s no fuel around? How does a newspaper publish news of bombs and deaths without newsprint? And how does a…
Sharing a common god: The Sivasubramaniam Kovil in Slave Island
Munisekar has always been devout. From the age of nine, he began working at the Sivasubramaniam Kovil of Slave Island – the place of worship closest to where he lived with his…
The education of a Muslim girl: Snapshots of Fatheema
15-year-old Fatheema Sulaika has lofty plans for her future. Study hard, become a psychologist, do her bit for mankind and hope that her example inspires oppressed women the world over. Needless to…
The ‘dobis’ in Colombo: Unseen people, used by most
In a locality where washing lines heavy with colour light up even the most mundane landscape, Navam Mawatha’s laundry seems a nucleus of sorts. Surrounded by banks and plush office spaces, the…
Hotel Nippon: An icon of Colombo
Originally from Ragama, Chandrika Serasinghe believes it was her destiny to end up working at the Nippon Hotel – a place whose unusual façade always had a pull on her whenever she…
‘Heal Lanka’ by Ras Ceylon
A retweet this morning from Ras Ceylon alerted us to the fact that he was following our feed. We first read about Ras Ceylon on Sepia Mutiny, interviewed by the inimitable Tanzila…
A review of (Un)making Time: ‘My Other History’ and ‘Rondo’
Image from ‘Rondo’ Image from ‘My Other History’ “We are all capable of believing things which we know to be untrue… And then, when we are finally proved wrong, impudently twisting the…
A Lost White Tribe: The Eurasians of Sri Lanka
A Lost White Tribe: The Eurasians of Sri Lanka is a personal look at some of the last remaining ‘Eurasians’, and part of the Moving Images commissioned and supported by . Produced…
A brief impression of ‘Rondo’
Original photo courtesy Mind Adventures Rondo is a devised theatre play, based on the theme of reconciliation, says the programme note for the production of RONDO by Tracy Holsinger and the Mind…
A brief impression of ‘My Other History’
Life span of one hour, four people performed excellently at a renovated warehouse down Park Street Mews. I was rooted to my seat and watched and listened in careful concentration to capture…
Interview with Mohamed Adamaly: A life in English theatre
Mohamed Adamaly is one of Sri Lanka’s best known theatre personalities. As an actor, director and now increasingly a producer of films as well, Adam, as he is often referred to, always…
Imaging the aftermath
“Absence of war does not mean peace. Meaningful peace can only be achieved by accepting separate identities and by trying to understand and accept the differences and uniqueness of cultural diversity. Peace…
