This is Not a Pearl (Tharindu Ramanayaka) Sri Lanka |

This is not a Pearl
Tharindu Ramanayaka
Sri Lanka. 2024. 14 min

This is Not a Pearl is an environmental film that explores the aftermath of a devastating environmental catastrophe in Sri Lanka. On May 20, 2021, the X-Press Pearl container ship caught fire off the coast of Colombo, carrying tons of potentially hazardous chemicals. This tragedy also led to the world’s largest-ever nurdle spill.
Through contemporary dance and experimental filmmaking, the movie portrays the journey of a pearl oyster as it struggles to safeguard its precious pearl from the impacts of the X-Press Pearl disaster.

THARINDU RAMANAYAKA

Tharindu Ramanayaka, an independent filmmaker, writer and an actor from Colombo, Sri Lanka. Although he is from Sri Lanka, He moved to India to study Drama and Theater for his graduation. From childhood, he had the desire to tell stories to people and this drove him to pursue theater. But soon he realized films were a better medium to express himself. After securing a scholarship, he stayed back in India to pursue Film Direction and Screenplay writing at the reputed Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. He started watching more films and learning the history of film and started experimenting with the form, especially with surrealistic images. soon realized that he had found ultimate medium to talk about stories that he has always wanted to tell, derived from the folk tales and Buddhist tales from his region.

Tharindu has more than 8 years of experience in the world of films. He has made short films, documentaries and music videos. Some of them are “MANDALA”, “KRIMIKOSH”, “ANDAJA” and “WEEPING ANGEL.” His films have been screened at many film festivals across the world & Won Several Awards too.

DIRECTOR`S NOTE

Sri Lanka is called the ‘pearl of the Indian Ocean’ for a reason. One is because it’s beautiful and tiny, like a pearl. Another reason is that it was famous for pearl fishery until the 19th century.
However, this ‘pearl of the Indian Ocean’ suffered a devastating blow when, on May 20, 2021, the X-Press Pearl caught fire off the coast of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Carrying 9,700 tons of potentially toxic chemicals, oil, and epoxy resins, the shipwreck also led to the world’s worst-ever nurdle spill, with 87 containers holding various plastic pellets estimated to weigh around 1,680 metric tons.

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