Lester James Peries

Directing

Lester James Peries

Born April 5, 1919 · Dehiwala, Sri Lanka

Died April 29, 2018 · aged 99

Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries 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.

Known For

BaddegamaBaddegama · 1980
Baddegama
★ 6.61980
MovieDrama
Baddegama or, more correctly, Beddegama is a 1980 award winning Sinhalese language film directed by Lester James Peries that follows the lives of village people in British Colonial Sri Lanka. The film is based on the 1913 book titled as "The Village in the Jungle" by Leonard Woolf. Silindu is a hunter in a small village where he and his family endure a life of hardships. After facing disease and poverty under colonial rule, the final blow comes when Silindu is tried for murder.
The GirlsThe Girls · 1978
The Girls
★ 7.41978
MovieDramaRomance
In rural Sri Lanka, two sisters pursue love and personal ambitions despite their family's strict social expectations. As class barriers and financial struggles intensify, both women are forced to abandon their dreams for family duty.
KaliyugayaKaliyugaya · 1982
Kaliyugaya
★ 8.51982
MovieDrama
Piyal and Nanda have now aged, and their children have left them. Priya reminisces on her life after her son sends her a letter from London accusing her and her husband of various faults.
White Flowers for the DeadWhite Flowers for the Dead · 1978
White Flowers for the Dead
★ 10.01978
MovieDrama
Dr. Sarath (Tony Ranasinghe) domineers over his timid wife Vineetha (Sriyani Amarasena). When she is to have a Caesarean delivery of their baby, Sarath refuses to be present even though he himself is a doctor. She dies during surgery and Sarath is forced to live with the spectre of his wife hanging over him.
Mansion by the LakeMansion by the Lake · 2002
Mansion by the Lake
★ 6.52002
MovieDrama
Very loosely based on Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, Lester James Peries's MANSION BY THE LAKE follows a family of formerly wealthy, expatriate Sri Lankan landowners, now impoverished, as they return from England to the magnificent country estate they left behind.
Mangrove IslandMangrove Island · 1976
Mangrove Island
★ 9.01976
MovieDrama
Madol Duwa (Mangrove Island) is a 1976 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Lester James Peries and produced by Upasena Marasinghe. The film stars Ajith Jinadasa as Upali, a young rebellious youth who travels to a small island to get away from the restrictive society around him. The film is based on Martin Wickremasinghe's 1947 novel Madol Doova. It was a commercial success
YuganthayaYuganthaya · 1983
Yuganthaya
1983
MovieDrama
Malin parts ways with his father Simon after realising that their ideologies do not match. While the father believes in using fear to control his employees, the son believes in equality and justice.
AwaragiraAwaragira · 1990
Awaragira
★ 8.01990
MovieDrama
Awaragira is a 1990 Sri Lankan film directed by Lester James Peries and produced by Dilman Jayaratne for Dil Films. It stars Joe Abeywickrama, Iranganie Serasinghe and Tony Ranasinghe in lead roles along with Lucky Dias and Vasanthi Chathurani. Music composed by Premasiri Khemadasa.

Filmography

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