Monday, April 25, 2005

Info - "No more tears Sister"

ரொறொண்டோவில் வாழும் புளொக் நண்பர்களுக்கான செய்தி இது.






The Canadian feature documentary will have its world premiere at the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival being currently held in Toronto. "No more tears Sister" will screen at 9. 45 pm on April 26th at the Isabel Bader theatre and at 7. 30 pm on April 28th at the Innis Town Hall.

Rajani Thiranagama: A true heroine
of our times

By D. B.S. Jeyaraj

More than fifteen years have! passed since Rajani Thiranagama nee Rajini Rajasingham was brutally gunned down at Thirunelvely, Jaffna on September 21st 1989 as she was cycling back home from the Jaffna University. She was Professor of Anatomy at the Jaffna Varsity medical faculty. The 35 year old mother of two daughters was also a human rights activist, feminist, critic of narrow nationalism and opponent of irresponsible militarism. No one has officially claimed responsibility for her killing and several attempts have been made by those close to the perpetrators to deflect blame elsewhere. Despite these moves the people at large know who the killers were though not many dared to say it publicly.

A decade and a half however fails to erase the indelible memories of Rajani among those who knew her. Her brutal murder has not been forgotten. Whenever the human rights violations of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil! Eelam are referred to in detail her name always crops up. Whenever the tragic plight of women caught up in Sri Lankas long drawn out "Machismo" war is highlighted her murder is usually focussed upon. Whenever the story of the Tamil liberation struggle going terribly wrong is discussed the murder of Rajani Thiranagama is always an issue cited.

She was truly a heroine of our times and an unforegettable symbol of its enveloping tragedy. As former UN special rapporteur on violence against women and current chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy observes . " Rajani had a vision for her people, the Sri Lankan Tamils. She envisioned a time when they would live in peace and dignity enjoying democratic rights and freedoms. Standing against oppression and brutality in all its forms, she is a beacon of light for a community living in fe! ar and struggling for self - respect. She will never be forgotten; an icon for everyone in Sri Lanka fighting for freedom ".

One agency that has remembered Rajani is the National Film Board of Canada. The land of the Maple leaf has made a name for itself in the realm of documentary films. "No More Tears Sister" - the anatomy of hope and betrayal is the title of an 80 minute film on the life and times of Rajani Thiranagama produced by the Canadian Film Board.. It is written and directed by Montreal based Canadian film maker Helene Klodawsky. The narrator Michael Ondatatje the Sri Lanka born reputed author now domiciled in Canada. A novel feature in recreating the life of Rajani is the portrayal of her mother by Sharika the younger daughter now in her early twenties.

The Canadian feature documentary will have its world premiere at the Hot Docs
International Do! cumentary Film Festival being currently held in Toronto. "No more tears Sister" will screen at 9. 45 pm on April 26th at the Isabel Bader theatre and at 7. 30 pm on April 28th at the Innis Town Hall.

Unlike most recreations of a contemporary personality the story of Rajani provided a stiff challenge for the filmmakers. There was very little documentation or authentic correspondence. Many of those who knew her or were associated with her were too scared to be filmed. Moreover filming in Jaffna where Rajani grew up, lived and died was out of the question because of the political climate. One also supposes that an element of screcy had to be maintained at all times due to the sensitive content and theme of the film.

Despite these problems that would have defeated most film makers of Cinema verite Helen Klodawsky has accomplished her task well. She was fortunate that family membe! rs and a few fellow human rights activists and feminists were courageous enough to come out openly. Rajanis parents the Rajasinghams, sisters Nirmala, Sumathy and Vasuki, Daughters Narmada and Sharika, husband Dayapala Thiranagama and some unnamed activists have all been interviewed and the life of Rajani unfolds on screen through their accounts mainly.

The vivid and perceptive comments made by Nirmala and Dayapala are the chief strengths of the film. The story of Rajani is inextricably inter- twined with that of her elder sister Nirmala a political activist cum feminist in her own right. Rajanis story cannot be told without without relating the story of Nirmala also. In that sense this film is as much about Nirmala as it is about Rajani. Nirmala has broken her long "public" silence on Rajanis death in this film. While not dwelt on
forcefully the film leaves no doubt in the viewers! mind about the forces behind
Rajanis assassination.

Dayapala Thiranagama comes off very well. Both Rajani and he came from contrastingly different backgrounds. He provides many fresh insights into Rajanis life. The scenes showing Nirmala and Dayapala in conversation are illuminating. A revealing moment of truth for anyone familiar with the rise and fall of the Tamil liberation struggle would be the one where the comment is made that political activism is no longer the armed struggle but that of upholding human rights.

The story of Rajani is interwoven with the violence of the ethnic conflict in Sri
Lanka. What made Helen Klodawsky the daughter of a concentration camp survivor herself take up this tale? This is what she says - "I wanted to understand how ethnic conflict and national struggles impact women - be they victims of war, militant fighters or peace build! ers. I wondered whether there was a feminist critique of both state and guerilla violence It was well known that the Sri Lankan
military and the opposition Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were both guilty of torture, illegal detention, disappearances and extra - judicial executions. I wanted
to explore whether women were, on the one hand, torn between loyalties to their ethnic communities and on the other hand the community of women. Did oppressed minority women imagine fighting injustice in different ways than their male counterparts?

The story of Rajani Thiranagama - her courageous life, unique vision and tragic
assassination - offered a compelling narrative to pose many of my questions. Rajanis evolution into a spirited champion of the Tamil peoples rights in the seventies and eighties paralleled the escalation of ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. Moved by her peoples complex ! struggle against ruthless state violence, she believed Tamil militancy was the answer and joined the Liberation movement. But when she witnessed the corruption and cruelty within, she felt compelled to document what she saw and urged her people to resist blind adherence to any leader or movement. Embracing feminism and a belief in human rights, she felt that women in particular were the primary casualties of war.

I believed that by following Rajanis life story and the circumstances surrounding
her untimely death, several themes could be explored. Nationalisms anti - nationalism; the lives of women as both participants and innocent victims of war
and the belief in armed struggle vs a critique of militarism.

Though "No More Tears " is set in Sri Lanka, a similiar story might have been explored in Africa, other parts of Asia, the middle - east, Eastern Europe or Latin
America. In the! sixties and seventies, Rajani was part of a generation of young
political activists in post - colonial societies around the world - activists who
dreamed of radically transforming their societies to achieve equality and justice
for all. But this idealism continues to be ruthlessly thwarted by narrow nationalist
agendas in countless Countries.

Cinematically, I wanted NO MORE TEARS SISTER to reflect the passion and beauty of Rajani's ideals. Together with my talented team including Francois Dagenais (director of photography)Patricia Tassinary (Editor) and Bertrand Chenier (Composer) I aimed at making a film that is political, feminist and aesthetic.


Courtesy:

http://tamilweek.com/Rajani_Thiranagama.html

8 comments:

கறுப்பி said...

test

கறுப்பி said...

thanks Manam for the informations

-/பெயரிலி. said...

when you watch, could you please verify for people like me if this film talks about Rajani & IPKF and anything about Hoole Brothers' + Sritharan's backgrounds?

thanks in advance.

கறுப்பி said...

yes I will. where is Sritharan now? do you know

-/பெயரிலி. said...

I have no idea, but as far as I heard (in a PBS program a while ago) he "is hiding" in Sri Lanka (and still with Hoole Bros is active University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna Branch) which organizaton Madam Chandrika was very happy to recommend instead of Human Rights Watch based in US to Rita Sebastian of BBC.)

-/பெயரிலி. said...

I wish human right activists cum film directors like you and manam take a documentary on Sri Lankan & IPKF atrocities in Eezham. It may not win the "Human Rights Heavyweight Champion" title, but at least give a perspective that Helene Klodawsky and Nirmala Ragavan (and may be Vasuki Sivamohan) might not have given.

I am just kidding. ;-)

கறுப்பி said...

பெயரிலி நகைச்சுவை இல்லை. உண்மையிலேயே எனக்கு விவரணப்படம் ஒன்று எடுக்கும் சந்தர்ப்பம் கிடைத்தது. கனேடிய அரசாங்கப் பண உதவியுடன். ஈழம் சென்று குறைந்தது இரண்டு மாதங்களாவது தங்க வேண்டும். அத்தோடு அங்கே சுதந்திரமாக எதையும் செய்ய முடியாத நிலை இருப்பதாக எனக்குப் பலர் சொன்னார்கள். பல தலையீடுகள் இருக்குமாம். அதனால் நான் வந்த சந்தர்ப்பத்தை விட வேண்டி வந்து விட்டது. வரும் வருடங்களில் சு10ர்யா பெண்கள் அமைப்புடன் கதைத்து அவர்கள் துணையோடு பெண்களின் நிலை பற்றிய ஒரு விவரணப் படம் எடுக்கும் எண்ணம் ஒன்று இருக்கின்றது. என்னுடைய செலவில். அங்கு ஏதும் பிரச்சனை தருவார்களோ தெரியாது. முடியாவிட்டால் வெறும் விடுமுறை என்று நினைத்துக் கொள்வதுதானே.
இரண்டு வாரங்களுக்கு முன்னர் சுமதி, வாசுகி எல்லோரும் கனடாவில் ஒரு நாடகம் போட வந்திருந்தார்கள். நான் எனது குறும்பட படப்பிடிப்பில் இருந்ததால் போக முடியவில்லை. மிக நன்றாக இருந்தாகச் சொன்னார்கள். மீண்டும் வருடக் கடைசியில் அவர்களை அழைக்க இருப்பதாகவும் கேள்விப்பட்டேன்.
பெயரிலி தாங்கள் அமெரிக்காவில் இருக்கின்றீர்கள் என்ற நம்புகின்றேன். அங்கு தமிழ் குறும்பட விழாக்கள் இடம் பெறுவதில்லையா? இடம் பெற்றால் தகவல் தெரிந்தால் அறிவியுங்கள். எனது படங்களை அனுப்ப விரும்புகின்றேன்.

-/பெயரிலி. said...

அது சுமதி சிவமோகன் என்றிருந்திருக்கவேண்டும் (ராஜினி, நிர்மலா ஆகியோரது சகோதரி என்று நண்பர் சொன்னார்). இங்கே குறும்படங்கள் நிகழ்கின்றன; தமிழிலே? வேண்டுமானால், சந்ரமுகி இரண்டு கொப்பி எடுத்து அனுப்புங்கள். :-( ஆனால், மெய்யாகவே ஒரு விதத்திலே முயற்சித்துப்பார்க்கலாம். பத்து -15 நிமிடக்குறும்படங்கள் இருந்தால், போட்டுப்பார்க்க இங்கிருக்கும் தமிழ்ச்சங்கங்களிலே ஒன்றோடு பேசிப்பார்க்கலாமென்றுதான் தோன்றுகிறது. ஈழப்பெண்களின் நிலை குறித்து மெய்யாகவே நடுநிலைமையான பார்வையோடு படங்களை எடுக்க முயற்சியுங்கள்; வெற்றி பெறலாம்.