TVUNGET TIL TAUSHET (original title)
SILENCED VOICES (English title)
A documentary film by Beate Arnestad
Norwegian Title:
Tvunget til Taushet (60 min)
En historie om journalister fra Sri Lanka
English title:
Silenced Voices (60 min)
Tales of Sri Lankan Journalists in Exile
Production year: 2012-01-23
Production company: SF Norge
Copyright: Arnestad Insight
Sales: Arnestad Insight
Screening format: DCP/HDCAM
Spoken language: English, Tamil, Sinhala
Voice: Norwegian,
English subtitles
FILM FESTIVAL DISTRIBUTION BY NORWEGIAN FILM INSTITUTE TORIL SIMONSEN Head of International Relations, short and documentary films ____________________________________________________ telephone +47 22 47 45 00 (74) mobil +47 90 03 80 86 telefax: +47 22 47 45 97 e‐mail ts@nfi.no <mailto:ts@nfi.no> web www.norwegianfilms.no <http://www.nfi.no>
Synopsis:
This is a film about freedom of speech and the messengers of truth to portray how
much individuals are willing to offer to bring information to light. The film is told as a
personal encounter with exiled journalists who have been “silenced” and almost
killed in their home country because they exposed war crimes, corruption and
massacres of civilians. They claim these crimes have been committed by the state.
Miraculously, they have managed to escape their home country and are now in
“safe” countries in the west. Following extensive research, collaboration was
established with the two known Sri Lankan journalists, Sonali and Bashana. Both are
continuing their work from secret hiding. They know they are fighting a lonely and
dangerous battle against the enormous amount of propaganda spread by
government officials to ensure the world will never know what really went on. They
are putting their own lives at risk to be messengers of the crimes that they are
convinced their government has implicated itself in.
(Sri Lanka is ranking one of the worst countries in Asia with respect to freedom of
expression. In the past few years, several have been murdered or just disappeared.
Close to 50 media workers have recently fled the country.)
A free press, independent journalism—are among our important democratic
values. Its founders, however, could not have imagined a world, such as today,
when information is increasingly exchanged through a global network. What that
means, in short, is that restrictions on a free press anywhere in the world become
restrictions everywhere in the world, as the global community is denied important
sources of information. Such information is more important than ever because, in
many nations, reporting budgets are shrinking, and the world becomes even more
dependent for information on journalists in their home countries. To the extent that
they are compromised, we all are compromised.
The film may have political implications and may also serve as an example of how
maintaining human rights and avoiding war crimes must all too often give way under
the political and economic interests of the superpowers. The film may also illustrate
that the actions of individual people can genuinely contribute to change.
The participating journalists:
Sonali Samarasinghe
Bashana.Abeywardane
Sharmila Logeswaram
A. Lokeesan
Stills from the film: http://ge.tt/9KsQAxB?c
http://ge.tt/9KsQAxB?c
Sonali’s write-up:
Sonali Samarasinghe is a lawyer and award-winning journalist/editor from Sri Lanka.
For over a decade of a career spanning 23 years she worked with her husband editor
Lasantha Wickrematunge until 8 January 2009 when he was brutally murdered by Sri
Lankan authorities. Shortly thereafter Sonali was forced into exile due to threats to
her own life. She continues the struggle as Editor of the Lanka Standard website.
Bashana’s write-up:
Bashana Abeywardane is a Sri Lankan journalist and a writer living in exile. He has
been working as a journalist since 1992 and was forced into exile in 2006. He is
currently serving as the Convener of the exiled Sri Lankan rights group, Journalists
for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS).
Director’s bio:
Beate Arnestad has over twenty years of experience producing and directing
content for departments at Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Her first
independent and award- winning documentary was filmed during the time Arnestad
lived in Sri Lanka.
1) Her latest film, also from Sri Lanka, tells of journalists in exile who struggle to get
the truth out about massacres of civilians in their country.
2) Her latest film is of freedom of speech and the messengers of truth to portray
how much individuals are willing to offer to bring information to light.
My Daughter the Terrorist 2007
Telling Truths in Arusha 2010
Silenced Voices 2012
Inspirational quote:
"We shall have to repent in this generation, not so much for the evil deeds of the
wicked, but of the appalling silence of the good people"
1.
Dr. Martin Luther King
ABOUT THE FILMS
Silenced Voices. 2012
Is a film of freedom of speech and the messengers of truth to portray how much
individuals are willing to offer to bring information to light. The film is told as a
personal encounter with exiled journalists from Sri Lanka who have been “silenced”
and almost killed in their home country because they exposed war crimes, corruption
and massacres of civilians. They claim these crimes are being committed by the
state.
Sri Lanka is ranking one of the worst countries in Asia with respect to freedom of
expression. In the past years, many have disappeared or are found tortured and
killed. Close to 50 media workers have recently fled the country.
Telling Truths in Arusha 2010
15 years after the crimes were committed, Father Hormisdas, a Catholic priest from
Rwanda is ready to defend himself against charges of genocide. How does the
Norwegian judge in charge of the Tribunal interpret the different truths told by
witnesses? Unique access to the courtroom lets us come close to the truth behind all
the lies. Truth appears to be a relative concept. It has many faces.
My Daughter the Terrorist 2007
What makes someone want to blow themselves up for a cause? In this personal film
we meet two young female Tamil Tiger cadres who are trained for the ultimate
mission. We share their childhood experiences, their reflections and their
motivations. Left behind are the mothers. A fascinating insight to understand the
relationship between armed government actions and the motivation of militant
movements alternately called freedom fighters or terrorists.