3 February
–
23 April 2006
Films:
Section 1: Defining DocumentaryBasil Wright 1907-1987
Song of Ceylon 1935
© Royal Mail Film Archive
Song of Ceylon 1935, a film in four parts, focuses on the effect of industrialisation on the traditional way of life for the Sinhalese (the dominant ethnic group of Sri Lanka – then known as Ceylon). It was hailed a cinematic masterpiece at the time by critic and author Graham Greene, and is notable for its experimentation with sound and the use of sound effects as metaphor. The first two sections of the film focus on traditional rituals and the natural environment, while the third sequence suggests the encroaching threat of industrialism. In the last section the relationship between the modern and the traditional is more harmonious – ultimately implying that nature and native traditions can co-exist with modernity.