What is happening to the local cinema industry in the wake of this pandemic?

The arts have suffered a great deal as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. There is hardly any dispute on the fact that the entertainment industry has been brought to its knees as a result of it. An area in which we see great suffering and a real struggle in getting back up is Sri Lanka’s cinema and theatre industry.

It would seem that there is a real challenge faced by many in the industry in adapting to the way things are right now – that is primarily online. Those previously immersed in the traditional mediums of storytelling and performing – that is television, cinema, and theatre – have long since given up the possibility of reviving their crafts.

We spoke to a number of prominent artists in the local scene, who shared their experiences in this pandemic as well as where they see themselves and their craft in the near future. There were many who were rather content in waiting it out, particularly directors/screenwriters who proposed they have chosen to focus their energy in creating new bodies of work which they will put into actualisation once it is safe to gather a film crew. However, the performers – that is those who are reliant on such projects being active – expressed that they are currently in trouble and are looking at an uphill struggle in getting back on their feet.

Kamal Addararachchi, veteran film and teledrama actor, singer, and presenter, shared his thoughts on the matter, stating that a serious detriment he sees in this industry and its people is their inability to adapt. He said they are all “still confused” and are all “disturbed” by this new turn of events. He shared that while he does not wish to speak ill of his colleagues, he must say that there is a lack of innovation and creativity in the way our local arts scene works.

The primary reason here, according to him, is that they are extremely set in their ways and “we do not think out of the box”. He said that even he himself has been hesitant to take up something new, especially something that is not conventional and deviates from the traditional mediums. He did share with us, however, that he is to take part in an upcoming project, a reality show-style production, and it is most likely going to be adapted for the internet in an attempt to get with the times.

He also added that there are some valid reasons here when it comes to not switching mediums immediately. He pointed out that while the younger actors and actresses and public personalities have made the switch to online content, cultivating their audiences on YouTube and social media, for the most part in Sri Lanka there is a majority who do not have access to these services, and if your audience tends to be in the demographic that will not turn to the internet for entertainment, then what are you to do?

 

 

Echoing what Kamal said about not being able to reach their audiences, Mahendra Perera also added that an issue he is currently facing is the adaptability of mediums, moving from the traditional medium to the new way of broadcasting, which is primarily through the internet, and also the real concern of not being able to reach your specific audience.

He shared that primarily as a theatre performer and film actor, he is at a crossroads as he is now given the option to either take on roles in mega television serials, which he believes is a betrayal to his craft as they are often mass produced and he does not wish to do so as a veteran performer, or if not to play the waiting game – to wait and see and hope that things return to normal soon.

Mahendra said that there is also a general disregard for performers of his station, adding that while he is indeed a senior actor, he too relies on the arts for an income; often, youngsters would reach out to him to appear in their projects without offering compensation, even though they are making money from those productions.

He also mentioned that “what people don’t understand is that the local arts is not something people do for profit, it is not a profit-making venture”, and those immersed in it are there because of their passion and purely to keep the arts alive.

Speaking to filmmaker Chandran Rutnam, he shared that the pandemic has been both a blessing and a curse, in that they are unable to film or put into motion any of their plans, which are now on hold. However, he said that “we have been given a wealth of time to be creative and to create new work, which is a luxury we do not often experience in the daily grind of things”.

We also spoke to Jeewan Kumaranatunga, who is currently in the middle of filming his most recent project “Jeewa”. He said they have gone to great lengths to follow the safety precautions, having appointed a designated staff member to follow through and ensure they do not suffer an outbreak amidst their ranks.

As for adapting, he said he has noticed that people have tried to make a smooth transition to online; with Iflix, Netflix, and other platforms, which allows for artists to create on, he said: “It is likely that if things do not change soon, some real and serious changes may have to be adopted.” He said that this will definitely be a challenge for most local artists, but if things do not change, then that is something they will simply have to do.

About this difficulty and reluctance to change, we spoke to actress Damitha Abeyratne, who shared that speaking as a professional in this industry, it must be understood that this entire concept of adapting is easier said than done. She said they are of course aware of people making content online, on YouTube primarily, and making their own channels and attempting to further their careers in the arts through those mediums. However, she said this period has left them – professionals who are used to having dealings with television channels, print media, and other traditional media, and not the digital way of things – truly destitute.

Damitha said that all the projects she had scheduled to do this year have since been cancelled due to this pandemic situation. She stressed that in Sri Lanka, there is a rather pathetic situation when it comes to artists, stating that they do not earn a lot of money purely from the industry, and despite this, they have to put up appearances and go to events which are all very expensive. She said it is not just actresses and actors such as herself who rely on cinema projects, but also those who earn daily wages from unit jobs at television sets.

She said there is a necessity here for support and the Government should look into supporting their artists. She added that what she is asking for is not any kind of special treatment, adding that there should be a fair and equal distribution of resources to support the arts.

She also said that they as an industry have made some efforts to receive monetary assistance, stating: “We went to handover letters to the President, Prime Minister, Basil Rajapaksa, and even Minister Bandula Gunawardana on behalf of ටෙලි වෘත්තිකයින්ගේ ජාතික සංගමය, ටෙලිනිස, and නිදහස් කලා සංවිධානය towards the end of March, as soon as corona started. We were giving good solutions. We asked for a loan, but soon after the election, they stopped the loan at the time people really needed it.”

Damitha mentioned that they have asked for some simple assistance, like allowing for loans to not be put to the Credit Information Bureau of Sri Lanka (CRIB). “We asked them to kindly not be concerned about the CRIB at this moment so that they can at least arrange that loan without checking with the CRIB, because people need money to clear their affairs. We all need a good practical solution for this. For the whole industry of art.