One of the four short movies shown at the Galle Lit Festival 2012 on Friday targeted Sri Lanka over banning transport of medicine, fuel and food to the northern Jaffna peninsula in the 90s. Directed by Kannan Arunasalam’s ‘ Kerosene’ which had been used previously by those campaigning against the present government, wouldn’t have upset any if the event wasn’t sponsored by countries trying to haul Sri Lanka up before an international war crimes tribunal.
‘Kerosene’ has been screened at Film South Asia 2011, selected for Travelling Film South Asia 2012, the 8th Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival, the South Asian Film Festival 2012 (Canada) and The MIX International Short Film Festival 2012 (Richmond, Virginia).
‘Kerosene’ has been screened at Film South Asia 2011, selected for Travelling Film South Asia 2012, the 8th Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival, the South Asian Film Festival 2012 (Canada) and The MIX International Short Film Festival 2012 (Richmond, Virginia).
The issue of sponsors came up first when a Pakistani journalist inquired from the organizers whether the government of Sri Lanka was among the sponsors.
When the sponsors declared that they were independent and the Sri Lankan state had nothing to do with the Galle Lit Festival, the journalist pointed out Norway and the Netherlands were among the sponsors.
January 21, 2012
(SF)