Plainly Sri Lankan cinema is having an ideal 12 months in 2023, with movies like “Paradise” by Prasanna Vithanage and “Whispering Mountains”by Jagath Manuwarna. Visakesa Chandrasekaram follows in the identical path along with his newest characteristic, “Sand”, a film that offers with the extraordinary wound the struggle has left within the nation.
5 years after the Sri Lankan struggle, Rudran, a younger man, is going through trial as an ex-Tamil Tiger militant, however is launched on bail attributable to a debilitating leg harm. He returns to his village within the North Province along with his mom, an ageing soothsayer. Whereas she spends her days within the non secular realm, making an attempt to find the whereabouts of those that have disappeared for a village neighborhood deeply bereaved, he spends his trying to find his previous girlfriend Vaani, in rehabilitation, and within the court docket for his trial. Hazard, nonetheless, looms over the village nonetheless, whereas the truth that nobody desires to talk about what occurred up to now, provides extra stress to all people, because the questions preserve piling up.
Visakesa Chandrasekaram manages one thing very tough, to create an environment of just about fixed stress, with none scenes that transfer in the direction of this course, or any of the modifying and music “tips” which might be normally applied. As a substitute, and regardless of a seemingly calm, gradual paced method, he manages to take action by having hazard loom over the protagonists primarily continuously. The each day roadblocks mom and son need to cross from, the trial, the seek for Vaani, the looks of what seems to be a ghost, even Rudran’s rehabilitation and the whether or not his leg will ever be okay all transfer in the direction of this course, creating a really interesting uncertainty about what will occur. As such, the one scene the place really one thing occurs, emerges as probably the most surprising within the film, each for its unexpectedness and the best way it’s resolved, for the protagonist at the very least.
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The aforementioned additionally permit Chandrasekaram to current how the actual society works these days, in a mode that continuously seems documentary-like. The affect and authority the soothsayer has highlights how faith works, with the presence of troopers throughout, the best way the trial unfolds and the destiny of Vaani additionally transferring in the direction of the identical course. Moreover, the filmmaker manages to current quite a few feedback in regards to the affect of struggle, an idea that ruined the goals of individuals, virtually turning them into each victims and perpetrators. This final side can be the supply of essentially the most chilling scene within the film, which turns into much more intense in the best way Chandrasekaram presents it in essentially the most pure vogue.
Rishi Selvam’s cinematography additionally strikes into documentary-like territory, with him specializing in presenting the rundown setting the story takes place with as a lot realism as doable, which extends to the homes, the rituals and the court docket. The second ingredient is what provides the film additionally a ritualistic essence that seems once in a while, and likewise works very well, additionally within the moments it goes into supernatural territory. The location of those scenes, as a lot because the succession of what’s, in essence, a repetitious cycle, can be significantly applied within the narrative, thus highlighting the job Sithum Samarajeewa did within the modifying division, additionally by retaining an unwavering gradual rhythm.
Sivakumar Lingeswaran as Rudran is spectacular all through, giving a fairly naturalistic efficiency, whereas retaining an exquisite sense of measure. The identical applies to Kamala Sri Mohan Kumar as his mom, whose appears to be like, nonetheless, often steal the present within the film. The 2 scenes talked about above are the place their performing finds its apogee, whereas their chemistry is clear all through.
“Sand” is a wonderful film that manages to current a charming, multi-leveled story whereas retaining a way of intense realism and presenting its feedback in essentially the most eloquent vogue.
