Short film ‘Christmas Gift’ A family reunion made possible through forgiveness

A still from the Sugath Shantha Moragahakumbura’s short film ‘Christmas Gift’

• The plot in the film is engaging from the start and the story revolves around the disaster that falls on a family from the moment the father leaves the shores of Sri Lanka to find his fortune abroad
• The last frame in the film underscores that there is always a door open for people losing their way in life to find solace by returning to the religion that they used to practice; as with this family Christianity

Author, journalist and stage drama director Sugath Shantha Moragahakumbura has made plans to release a YouTube video (short film) with the aim of sending a strong message to the society to protect loved ones at home in families where the breadwinner immigrates in search of greener pastures. Moragahakumbura is working on speaking to television channels to broadcast this video titled ‘Christmas Gift’on the week that the country will celebrate Christmas. The YouTube video runs for a duration of 17 minutes. The company that undertook this YouTube production is ‘Balaporoththuwa’.

According to Moragahakumbura the video has been made with the involvement of seven artistes and the financial support of a group comprising philanthropists, the latter wanting to remain anonymous, but wishing the production all success and also promising the film director further support for films 
of this nature. 

The plot in the film is engaging from the start and the story revolves around the disaster that falls on a family from the moment the father leaves the shores of Sri Lanka to find his fortune abroad. The mother in the family, Yamuna, (the role is played byDilhara Jayasinghe) finds comfort in a man named Richard (the role played by Sudesh Lakshan) who operates a tuktuk and there blossoms an extramarital affair between the two. The agony of it is that this tuk tuk driver’s wife and Yamuna are close friends and there is a huge betrayal here among close associates.

In the bleak surroundings of the film the only spark of hope left for the family and also the audience is the existence of a force in the form of Christianity which is forever prevalent throughout the film. 

Richard then finds a way to enter the life of Yamuna’s daughter (role played by Thisari Ruwanka) and brings a dark cloud over her life as well. Yamuna’s son (role played by Ruvin Jayashantha) falls victim to drugs and alcohol. Both children in the film are of school- going age. In the bleak surroundings of the film the only spark of hope left for the family and also the

audience is the existence of a force in the form of Christianity which is forever prevalent throughout the film. The occasional appearance of a cross in many scenes, the church and a Christian priest, visible in at least two scenes, build the background to the formation of an escape door for the family. But the key to the door is available only when the dad returns from abroad, realises the disaster caused due to his absence, is willing to forgive and when the family reunites. It’s touching in the end to see the entire family go to church on Christmas day; that last frame underscoring the fact that there is always a door open for people losing their way in life to find solace by returning to the religion that they used to practise. The others in the cast are Unesh David (Priest), Rebecca Ruth (who plays the role of Roshara; the tuk tuk driver’s wife). The others who made their contributions towards the success of the film are Sameera Subasinghe (music) and Gamini Costa ( make-up). The man behind the script and directions was Moragahakumbura himself. 

“The message I want to give is that the breadwinner doesn’t always have to go abroad to enhance the family income. He or she can earn a good income by remaining in Sri Lanka if there is a will to engage in hard work” said Moragahakumbura. He also reiterated that if people have to go abroad they must create a safe environment here for their loved ones before leaving. 
It took cameraman Gamini Fernando two days to shoot the film and all the artistes and the film director had to put in 24 hours of work till they had a product in hand. Moragahakumbura said that he has had a positive response from the television channels he has spoken to his far to broadcast his 
YouTube movie.