Press Releases
U.S. Embassy Supports Project to Preserve Sri Lankan Film Heritage
Colombo, September 18, 2008: In a ceremony held at the Ministry of Information, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake and Honorable Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Minister of Mass Media & Information, exchanged documents to launch a year-long project to preserve Sri Lanka's documentary film heritage, financed by the 2008 U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation. The US$20,000 project will provide for the research, cataloging and safeguarding of films produced by the Government Film Unit in the years following Sri Lanka's independence. The collection, housed at the Ministry of Information, includes over 1000 of Sri Lanka’s finest historical documentary films and newsreels.
“During the time I worked with the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, I often had to depend on valuable archival footage available at the Government Film Unit for making news and current affairs productions," said Sharadha de Saram, Project Director. "Though this material is a unique visual record of this country’s history, perhaps unparalleled in South Asia, about sixty percent of the collection has deteriorated or perished due to neglect." Noted filmaker, Mr. Tissa Abeysekera, will contribute his professional knowledge and experience to the project, reviewing and documenting the works for their historical and cultural value. One hundred of the most significant films will be digitized and documented in order to share them with future generations of Sri Lankans.
The U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation was established in 2001 by the U.S. Department of State to help developing countries preserve their cultural heritage. This year's project was nominated by Ambassador Robert Blake, and was one of only 68 selected for funding in a worldwide competition of over 184 nominated projects. “By taking a leading role in efforts to preserve cultural heritage, we show our respect for other cultures and peoples," said Ambassador Blake. "I chose this project because documentary film is not only a cultural heirloom but a powerful tool in educating and raising social consciousness."
Minister Yapa commended Ambassador Blake for taking an interest in the project, saying, "Sri Lankan documentary film makers and researchers can be happy that the footage will be soon available to them and to all those interested in the cultural heritage of our country.” Plans are underway to create a traveling film festival around the restored films. Hon. Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Minister of Mass Media, and Mr. A. Dissanayake, Secretary, Ministry of Mass Media & Information, also attended the ceremony.