‘Nobody Knows’ excels Down Under

Amidst the setbacks triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, filmmakers around the globe are facing challenging times.But we have seen daring filmmakers tasting success even during these trying times. Award-winning filmmaker Bennett Rathnayake’s newest movie ‘Kawuruwath Danne Nehe’ (Nobody Knows) is one such creation that is excelling in several cities in Australia where the film is being screened now drawing large crowds.

‘Nobody Knows’ is the first Sinhala movie to receive a continuous multiple show Sunday screening slots in Australian theatres in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. The film running to house full audiences in those theatres are a clear indication that good films always attract good audiences back to cinema halls. The Brisbane screening schedule is to begin on February 28.

Though Sri Lankan movies get isolated screening slots at film festivals or special overseas screenings, this is the first time that a Lankan movie has been selected for regular screenings in Australia.

‘Nobody Knows’ is the first Sinhala movie to receive a continuous multiple show Sunday screening slots in Australian theatres in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney

Bennett Rathnayake who grabbed the best director award with his maiden cinematic creation ‘Aswesuma’ in 2001,  also won many awards at several film festivals including the Platinum Award for the Best First Feature at the 34th Houston International Film Festival.

The film was critically acclaimed and won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Bombay International Film Festival. The film was selected for the Montreal and Quebec City International Film Festivals as well as the Moscow IFF, Singapore IFF, and Kerala IFF. In 2001, the film was selected as an entry in the competitive section at the 25th São Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil as well as 4th International film festival in India.

Later in 2005, he directed his second film Sulanga, which acclaimed critical appreciation at Houston International Cinema Festival. In 2010, Rathnayake directed the war-related film Ira Handa Yata which was premiered at the 23rd Singapore International Film Festival and nominated for the Silver Screen award as well.

In 2018, he released a film based on the novel “Nela” translated into Sinhala by Indrani Ratnasekera. The original novel “Marianella” was written by Benito Feroz Galdos. 

by: Ramesh Uvais