For the Disappeared you

The director Ranga Bandaranayke along with the writer Chamara Prasanna Kodithuwakku spread awareness about the sudden disappearance of the people in Srilanka belonging to the minority category since the 1980's.

The plot of the experimental short film revolves around the various incidents of the mysterious disappearance and the long-term effects that the island country has to bear because of the horrific past.

The cinematographer J Susewhewa Amila Sampath opens with a long shot of the solar system along with the commentary in the background to establish the subject matter of the cinematic piece and keep the audience hooked to the content so that this issue reaches the wider audience. The black and white colour palette, sound effects, costume, makeup, and camera angles utilized in the cinematic piece highlights the grave nature of the events which also provides a sense of realism to the viewers so that they can relate to it and help in contributing for a better future for the country. The long shot of people showcasing their day-to-day life and a few interviews give the details of civilization barbarism that was taking place in Srilanka, therefore, increasing the degree of emotional connect with the documentary as the creative piece moved towards its Climax.

In terms of performance, social workers like Basil Fernando (Chairman- Asian Human Rights Commission), Samanmali Hettiarachchi (Director-DabinuCollective), Brito Fernando (Chairman- Families of the disappeared), and Professor Chandraguptha Thenuwara along with several others who remain unnamed continuously worked to get justice for the victims and their families and also shed light on how people fight back as the society to eradicate social evils like disappearance, detentions, and killings that were taking place openly. These welfare workers gather the courage to raise their voices for equality of all the Srilankan citizens and also protect the future generations.

The short film- For the disappeared you educates its audience about the existence of humans with the reference to the solar system. The documentary reiterates how valuable one is for their family. The cinematic piece talks about the importance of working in the economically greedy world to safeguard and minimize the suffering of loved ones. The movie states that people should not lose hope in life and continue to resist all the struggles and emerge victorious. This film enlightens the viewers regarding all the rights are given by the constitution and that no one can be punished for demanding the same. For the disappeared you talks about the need for Srilanka to remember the appalling past and ensure it does not happen ever again.

As an ardent viewer of Short films I loved the fact that the director Ranga Bandaranayke stayed true to the traditional values and culture of his motherland. I also liked his dedication to the art of filmmaking to highlight even the dark underlying issues that need to be addressed at an urgent basis.