SAND – Sri Lankan movie ( Sydney Film Festival ) 15 and 17 June 2023 ( Sydney Event )

Director Visakesa Chandrasekaram’s deeply authentic story features a quietly intense performance from Sivakumar Lingeswaran (in his exceptional screen debut) as Rudran – a young militant who has lost so much due to the war, at the hands of the military. Now freed, Rudran returns home to his mother (Kamala Sri Mohan Kumar), a Hindu soothsayer both respected and feared in the community. As he goes through therapy, faces trial over his wartime activities and tries to reconnect with his old flame Vaani (Thurkka Magendran), Rudran struggles to accept all that has been lost. Though a powerful narrative with tinges of mysticism, at times the film has a documentary feel — the cast includes many survivors of the war.