After presenting the memorable film Sankara at IFFR, the young Sri Lankan cineaste Prasanna Jayakody appears with his second film Karma. Applying the same cinematic time-flow, the director uses consistent slow and long shots to establish a certain meditative mood.
The film opens with very slow camera movements in a house, while off-screen there are sounds of heavy breathing. A mother is dying in pain in a huge bed, her son beside her. He is passively present and seems numb, bothered by guilt. His thoughts are with the girl next door. He longs for warmth, uneasy with his sexual drive.
This introspective minimalist human drama of a young man’s encounter with death, but lust and joy as well, poses many questions. Approached and handled with the sophistication of delicate embroidery, Karma magically turns the spectator towards his own self.
Film details
- Country of production
- Sri Lanka
- Year
- 2010
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2011
- Length
- 88"
- Medium/Format
- 35mm
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