Burning Birds
Fall Grant 2013 - Production Stage
Sanjeewa Pushpakumara / Feature Narrative / Sri Lanka, France, Netherlands, Qatar / 2016 / 84 min / Original Language: Sinhalese / Interests: Drama, War, Family
Synopsis
1989. A small village in eastern Sri Lanka. After her husband is abducted, tortured and murdered by state army, Kusum must fight to look after her eight children and mother-in-law all by herself. After being physically and sexually abused, and working a number of odd jobs,
Kusum falls into prostitution. The police arrest her while she is working in a brothel. Soon the news spreads throughout the village and her family’s fate is turned upside down…
Credits
- Director
- Sanjeewa Pushpakumara
- Screenwriter
- Sanjeewa Pushpakumara
- Producer
- Antonin Dedet
About the Director
In 2011, Sanjeewa made his first feature film, ‘Flying Fish’ which was supported by the Hubert Bals Fund. The film has been selected by 28 film festivals around the world, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film has won many awards, among them the Best Director Award from the St. Petersburg International Film Festival, and Best Asian Cinematographer at the Asian Film Festival..
Awards and Festival History
Festivals
Busan International Film Festival 2016, New Currents Competition (WP)
International Film Festival Rotterdam 2017, Bright Future Competition
Gothenburg Film Festival 2017, Ingmar Bergman Competition
African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival in Mil
Special Jury Prize, International Film Festival Tokyo Filmex 2016
Grand Prix Fiction and Human Rights Award, and Young Jury Award, Int'l Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights in Geneva 2016