Whispering Mountains

A virus is spreading across Sri Lanka, reportedly causing young people to commit suicide. The Disease Control Unit promises containment of this terrifying pandemic by any means necessary, citing supernatural forces that only ancient healing rituals can vanquish. As parents mourn the deaths and disappearances of their children, government henchmen prepare the bodies and the remaining living prisoners for a cleansing of disturbing proportions.

The Black July riots of 1983. The 1994 discovery of a mass grave in the Sooriyakanda Mountain range. The 30-year Eelam War. The 2022 Protests. In his bold and unflinching debut feature, filmmaker Jagath Manuwarna holds up a mirror to the decades of suppressed uprisings and civil war in Sri Lanka. Threading together various points of view across the landscape of revolt, from a grieving, alcoholic father and a monk grappling with doubt to the banal banter of an anti-rebellion unit, Manuwarna delivers an impactful and potent epic.

Often darkly humorous, cinematographer Vishwajith Karunarathne’s elegantly composed long takes play with the nature of government disinformation, where simple close-ups slowly pull back, revealing darker truths. All the while, the breathtaking beauty of Sri Lanka remains a quiet, mournful presence – deeply felt beyond the screen.

– Fiona Armour