Changes in the Village
Lester James Peries
Sri Lanka. 1965. 105min

The first novel in Martin Wickramasinghe’s celebrated trilogy, Changes in the Village, was adapted for the screen in 1963. This film portrays a village in transition, where the old aristocracy is crumbling and capitalism is quietly beginning to reshape society. Fleeting human emotions are depicted against the backdrop of ancient, rustic vessels collecting water dripping from a broken, antique roof, and letters discarded into a cupboard by a woman trying to forget her lover. The lives of Nanda and Piyal, once young lovers from different social classes, are irrevocably altered by life’s hardships. Years later, they reunite — but neither is the person they once were, and their love is no longer pure or innocent.

LESTER JAMES PERIES

Lester James Peries (April 1919 – 29 April 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Considered as the father of Sri Lankan cinema, Lester worked as a filmmaker from 1949 to 2006, and was involved in over 28 films, including shorts and documentaries.

He received critical acclaim for directing Rekava, Gamperaliya, Nidhanaya, Golu Hadawatha, Kaliyugaya, Awaragira and Yuganthaya. His movie Wekande Walauwa, starring Ravindra Randeniya and Malini Fonseka, was Sri Lanka’s first ever submission for the Academy Awards and the film Nidhanaya was included among the top 100 films of the century by the Cinémathèque Française.  Peries’ films often deal with Sri Lankan family life in rural settings and conflicted characters. He helped create an authentic expression of Sinhala Cinema.