Malith Hegoda’s maiden movie at London Festival

This year’s London Film Festival has selected the maiden movie by Malith Hegoda, a young filmmaker from Sri Lanka.

His film Dekala Purudu Kenek (The Strange Familiar) is scheduled to be screened on the 11^th October at 1 p.m. at ICA Cnema, Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, London, SW1Y 5AH and October 13^th at 6 p.m. at National Film Theatre 2, South Bank, London. With the Director of the film Malith Hegoda Script writer Boopathy Wickramage, Assistant director Daminda Madawala and producers Rasanga Dissanayake and Lal Hegoda will attend the screenings.

Director Malith Hegoda is the son of the popular poet, still photographer, teacher and writer in Sri Lanka Lal Hegoda and nephew of poet, journalist and a senior solicitor Anura Hegoda. Dekala Purudu Kenek is a deftly told social drama about a Sinhalese couple and their families, who struggle to come to terms with the emotional wreckage caused by an extra-marital affair.

Malith Hegoda presents a brutally honest and gripping examination of the breakdown between an urban Sinhalese couple, exploring the moral and emotional dilemma of betrayal within a marriage. Housewife Dinithi fusses over her architect husband Sachinthra as he leaves for the office. He cold shoulders her and secretly hides her mobile phone in a cupboard. Later that night, a huge chasm opens up between the two as Dinithi asks for her mobile. It transpires that Dinithi has had an affair and the more she begs for forgiveness the colder Sachinthra behaves. It is clear that for Sachinthra trust has been severely damaged and their relationship threatens to spin out of control. Samadhi Laksiri and Bimal Jayakody give compelling performances as the wounded couple in this emotionally controlled tale that has universal resonances.

Lal Hegoda, Malith Hegoda, Rasanga Dissanayaka, Mohamed Adamaly and Nadira Adamaly for Real Fiction Films produced Dekala Purudu Kenek. Screenwriter is Boopathi Nalin Wickramage. Samadhi Laksiri, Bimal Jayakody and Jagath Manuwarna take the leading roles.

Produced in 2014, it runs for 119 minutes.