Lester James Peries

Indian documentary about Indian film history and P. K. Nair, the founder of the National Film Archive of India and guardian of Indian cinema. He built the archive can by can in a country where the archiving of cinema was considered unimportant.

Documentary about Sri Lankan filmmaker Lester James Peries

Baddegama or, more correctly, Beddegama is a 1980 award winning Sinhalese language film directed by Lester James Peries that follows the lives of village people in British Colonial Sri Lanka. The film is based on the 1913 book titled as "The Village in the Jungle" by Leonard Woolf. Silindu is a hunter in a small village where he and his family endure a life of hardships. After facing disease and poverty under colonial rule, the final blow comes when Silindu is tried for murder.

Baddegama or, more correctly, Beddegama is a 1980 award winning Sinhalese language film directed by Lester James Peries that follows the lives of village people in British Colonial Sri Lanka. The film is based on the 1913 book titled as "The Village in the Jungle" by Leonard Woolf. Silindu is a hunter in a small village where he and his family endure a life of hardships. After facing disease and poverty under colonial rule, the final blow comes when Silindu is tried for murder.

Madol Duwa (Mangrove Island) is a 1976 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Lester James Peries and produced by Upasena Marasinghe. The film stars Ajith Jinadasa as Upali, a young rebellious youth who travels to a small island to get away from the restrictive society around him. The film is based on Martin Wickremasinghe's 1947 novel Madol Doova. It was a commercial success

Awaragira is a 1990 Sri Lankan film directed by Lester James Peries and produced by Dilman Jayaratne for Dil Films. It stars Joe Abeywickrama, Iranganie Serasinghe and Tony Ranasinghe in lead roles along with Lucky Dias and Vasanthi Chathurani. Music composed by Premasiri Khemadasa.

Piyal and Nanda have now aged, and their children have left them. Priya reminisces on her life after her son sends her a letter from London accusing her and her husband of various faults.

In rural Sri Lanka, two sisters pursue love and personal ambitions despite their family's strict social expectations. As class barriers and financial struggles intensify, both women are forced to abandon their dreams for family duty.

The son of a newly rich industrialist becomes embroiled in a murder cover-up.

The son of a newly rich industrialist becomes embroiled in a murder cover-up.

Malin parts ways with his father Simon after realising that their ideologies do not match. While the father believes in using fear to control his employees, the son believes in equality and justice.

Sumanawathie's elder son is a Buddhist monk. Her daughter has run from home and married a man who ignores and quarrels with the daughter. Sumanawathie's younger son Saliya gets a job as a soldier. Sumanawathi gets upset as she is left alone in her house. As the film progresses she gets to know that her son has disappeared during a war operation. Her health declines rapidly. After a long time, Saliya comes again to her home alive. Meanwhile her elder son is killed by terrorists when he travels with a team to distribute goods to the poor people.

The story follows a seven-year-old girl from an aristocratic family who is brutally murdered and subsequently reborn in a rural village.

Very loosely based on Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, Lester James Peries's MANSION BY THE LAKE follows a family of formerly wealthy, expatriate Sri Lankan landowners, now impoverished, as they return from England to the magnificent country estate they left behind.

Very loosely based on Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, Lester James Peries's MANSION BY THE LAKE follows a family of formerly wealthy, expatriate Sri Lankan landowners, now impoverished, as they return from England to the magnificent country estate they left behind.

Dhammi is a mischievous schoolgirl, Sugath a shy and introverted boy new in school. Dhammi is immediately attracted to him and they become friends. The friendship eventually develops in to a special relationship, but when Sugath reveals his love for her she shuns him.

Piyal is a handsome young teacher who is hired to teach English to Nanda, a member of a high class family. They fall in love, but can't elope because Piyal is of a lower class. Nanda's parents instead push her into a marriage with Jinadasa, who is of the same class as them. With economic downturn in Sri Lanka, both families lose their status and Jinadasa leaves to try to make a better life for himself; he never achieves his goal and dies penniless. Piyal and Nanda can now finally come together. They have changed however, and the earlier idylic nature of their relationship is not recaptured.

Based on a short story written by G.B. Senanayake in one of his short story collection known as "The Revenge," the film revolves around a murder committed for the purpose of gaining access to a hidden treasure.

Sandesaya (Sinhalese language word meaning The Message) is a 1960 film. The film based on the war between the Sinhalese people and the Portuguese invaders in Sri Lanka. It was directed by Sri Lankan film director Lester James Peries. It was produced by K. Gunaratnam on behalf of the Cinemas Company on the request of Raj Kapoor.

Sandesaya (Sinhalese language word meaning The Message) is a 1960 film. The film based on the war between the Sinhalese people and the Portuguese invaders in Sri Lanka. It was directed by Sri Lankan film director Lester James Peries. It was produced by K. Gunaratnam on behalf of the Cinemas Company on the request of Raj Kapoor.

Dr. Sarath (Tony Ranasinghe) domineers over his timid wife Vineetha (Sriyani Amarasena). When she is to have a Caesarean delivery of their baby, Sarath refuses to be present even though he himself is a doctor. She dies during surgery and Sarath is forced to live with the spectre of his wife hanging over him.

The film centered around the story behind national patriot Veera Puran Appu and his Matale rebellion in 1848 for the freedom from British. Though he was executed by the British by firing squad, his influence to the country's independence has been highly praised and thus Puran Appu is highlighted as a national hero of the Sri Lankan history.

Cyril (Tony Ranasinghe) is dissatisfied with his introverted fiancée Sujatha (Punya Heendeniya). He starts a relationship with the outgoing Sarojini (Anula Karunatilleke) and gets her pregnant. Sujatha meanwhile is fascinated by a wandering Buddhist nun. Due to the pregnancy, Cyril breaks off the engagement having no intention to marry Sarojini. Till the birth of the child he supports her and then leaves her for an older rich woman. Sarojini is distraught and contemplates suicide. Sujatha by this time is planning to become a nun.

A village woman and her young son face various hardships because of the untimely death of her husband.

A sprawling portrait of rural life in Sri Lanka; the story revolves around a boy and his friend--a blind girl who he accidentally 'heals' by giving her sight. Though the girl believes the boy healed her, in reality the boy has no such powers. The father of the boy fools the village folk into believing he's a healer, but ultimately the sham is exposed, causing the village to revolt against the boy and his family.

A sprawling portrait of rural life in Sri Lanka; the story revolves around a boy and his friend--a blind girl who he accidentally 'heals' by giving her sight. Though the girl believes the boy healed her, in reality the boy has no such powers. The father of the boy fools the village folk into believing he's a healer, but ultimately the sham is exposed, causing the village to revolt against the boy and his family.