Tissa Abeysekara
Encyclopedia
Deshabandu
Kalasuri Vishvaprasdini Dr.(Honoris causa) Tissa Abeysekera (May 7, 1936 – April 18, 2009) was a Sri Lanka
n filmmaker, writer, critic, presenter, interviewer and political activist.
, a railroad town 12 miles southeast of Colombo
to Sir Arthur Solomn de Fonseka and lady Agnus de Fonseka. Tissa is also the grandson of Sir Carolis de Fonseka, who was a Mudliar to the British and is the great-grandson of Sir Solomn de Fonseka, who was a Gate Mudliar, although Tissa hails from the House of Greenlands in Havlock town, his father and mother happened to be middle-class folk. Due to loss of wealth, Tissa's father declared bankruptcy in 1949; however, it was after this that Tissa said he found himself..[1] He was not sent to school until age 11 due to poor health, and was tutored at home, after which he was educated at Dharmapala Vidyalaya; as a result of his father's loss he was unable to be tutored at home.[2] In school Tissa excelled as an outstanding marksman both as a junior and senior cadet, and also as a brilliant soccer player all the way to first fifteen. Tissa eventually held duties as Head Prefect. Tissa was to go to university to gain an L.L.B. and become a practicing lawyer, as did most members in his father's family; however, a liking to cinema developed in him, which caused curiosity, which eventually led to him being a critic, and a chance meeting with Dr. Lester James peries led him to find his inner film maker. Greatly disapprovingly his father allowed him to go on this endeavor, which today is looked on by more than 20 million people as a life worth living.
and Janatha national newspapers. Barely out of his teens, he published a collection of Sinhala short stories, which received favourable reviews, bringing him to the notice of Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra
, who hailed him as "an outstanding original voice in Sinhala creative writing who shows promise of developing into a major talent".
However a chance meeting with Dr. Lester James Peries
in the early 1960s lured him to the cinema, where he remained for the next 40 years. Tissa developed into an accomplished screenplay writer before he was 30. The screenplay he wrote for "Welikatara" was the first which launched him on a distinguished career as Sri Lanka's foremost screenplay writer. In 'Weikathara' he demonstrated his skill as a screenplay writer for the first time.(Previously he was credited only as "Additional Dialog Writer" for Lester James Films). "Welikatara" was followed by "Binaramali" and most importantly, Nidhanaya
and Welikathara
. He made over 40 documentaries for the Government Film Unit before breaking through as a feature filmmaker with Karumakkarayo, based on Gunadasa Amarasekara
's controversial novel. This was followed by Mahagedara (1983) and then the highly successful Viragaya (1988) based on Martin Wickramasinghe
's novel, which was considered unfilmable. Viragaya is considered one of the finest Sinhala films ever made.
In 1996, Abeysekara won the prestigious Gratiaen Prize
for the best piece of Creative Writing in English for that year by a resident Sri Lankan for a novella Bringing Tony Home. He continued writing mostly in English, bringing out another collection of three stories, titled In My Kingdom of the Sun and the Holy Peak.
He was Chairman of the National Film Corporation from 1999 to 2001. He was subsequently the Director of the Sri Lanka Television Training Institute. Abeysekara served on the Boards of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the Aesthetic Institute of Sri Lanka, affiliated to the University of Kelaniya
, as a Council Member of the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo, and as a Trustee of the National Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka.
Seminars & Conferences attended relating to Literature. 2001. Attended Conference on SAARC Literature in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on invitation from the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature. New Delhi. 2002. Presented Paper on Sri Lankan Literature at the Conference on South Asian Literature held in New Delhi’ 2003. Chairman, Panel of Judges for Gratiaen Prize. 2004. Represents Sri Lanka at the SAARC Writers Conference, in Lahore and read Paper on English Writing in South Asia. 2005. March. Participated, by invitation, and delivered Paper, at the 50th Anniversary Conference of the Sahithya Akademi of India/New Delhi. 2006. Attended Katha Asia, Literary Festival, held in New Delhi by invitation from Katha Asia Organisation.
Academic Activities/Teaching Film 1984. Begins work as Guest Lecturer on History and Aesthetics of Film, at the Aesthetic Institute, of the University of Kelaniya. Continues same in the Universities of Sri Jayawardenapura, Colombo, and Kelaniya Universities. 1989. Course Director on a course on Writing for Television at the Sri Lanka Television Training Institute. 1990. Course Director on Writing for television, conducted by the Sri Lanka Television Training Institute; July. 2005. Conducted workshop at Wakwella, Galle, for the National Cultural Foundation with funding from US/AID, on the Basics of Film Craft and Aesthetics, to the rural youth of the Tsunami affected areas of the South.
Travels abroad on Film Festivals/Film Studies/Visitorships etc. 1982. Member, Sri Lanka delegation to the Tashkent International Film Festival, USSR. 1983. Visits Satyajit Ray in Calcutta. 1987. Visits U.K on a British Council Grant to view and study the films of Alfred Hitchcock from his British period. Also participates at the London Film Festival as accredited guest. 1987/88. Visits the US, on an International Visitorship Grant from USIA, to tour the film archives at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Library of Congress, Washington, Film departments of the State University of Ohio, and UCLA, interacting with film academics, curators, and archivists, nd researching into the early period of American cinema. 1988. Visits, Stockholm, Sweden, for a programme of films by Ingmar Bergman, specially arranged by courtesy of the Swedish Film Institute. 1989. Second visit to Stockholm to view more films by Ingmar Bergman, and make preliminary arrangements for a Bergman Retrospective in Colombo.In November, 1989, leaves for Paris, on an invitation, by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for a programme at the Cinematheque Francaise. 1990. On invitation by the Goethe Institute, Colombo, participates in a retrospective of Documentary films from the Federal Republic of Germany, titled, Starting Towards Freedom, held at the Max Muhler Bhavan, New Delhi. 2002. September 29 – October 3. On invitation from the Japan Foundation/Asia Center, for the Sri Lankan Film Festival. Film Viragaya screened.
As Organiser/Curator/Juror 1989. October, curated and presented a Retrospective of Bergman Films in Colombo, in collaboration with the Swedish Film Institute, Stockholm, and the Swedish Embassy, Colombo. 1990. Director, South Asian Documentary and Short Film Festival, Colombo. Sponsored by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies. 2002. April/May. Jury Member, International Film Festival, Kerala.
) which was treated for. And on the scheduled day for Tissa To be taken home he complained of what to him was a Sever headache to which the doctors gave no attention having only treated him with asprin until the relevant Doctor was to discharge him so he could be taken to the Neuro Department, Tissa Condition had worsened within a matter of hours and all though his wife had requested the doctors immediate attention and priority to be given the relevant Heart surgeon was to arrive almost 7 hours late and after having rushed tissa to the Neuro surgical intensive care unit it was assessed that a delay in bringing him had caused one third the brain space to be filled with blood causing immense pressure to build up in the left sector of his brain (a sudden Cerebral hemorrhage) also killing one 1/3 of the cells, two surgeries were conducted and it was re-assessed that the chances in Tissa making it would be slimmer than 1% and if he did no one was to know the condition he would be in...at 5.55PM on April 18 Tissa was pronounced dead, in a short time span of under 1/2 an hour this news was to reach expatriate friends and Family via the media...Tissa's loss was to be grieved by both local and international communities in the fields of Film, Music, Literature, Art and Politics his absence has been described by many as "The void that he has left can only be understood if one looks at a washed away painting and understands and realizes that its beauty can never be glorified or recreated again" A Service of Remembrance for him was held at the Chapel of the Hope of the World, Ladies' College, Colombo, on May 7, 2009.
A memorial service was held at the Chapel of the Hope of the World, Ladies' college Colombo7, to commemorate his one year death anniversary.
Deshabandu
Deshabandu is a National Honours of Sri Lanka, a civil honour awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka. It is conventionally used as a title or prefix to the awardees name. Deshabandu ranks lower than Deshamanya.-Awardees:Awardees include:*N. H. Keerthiratne...
Kalasuri Vishvaprasdini Dr.(Honoris causa) Tissa Abeysekera (May 7, 1936 – April 18, 2009) was a Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n filmmaker, writer, critic, presenter, interviewer and political activist.
Early life
Tissa Ananda Abeysekera Guneratne de Fonseka was born in MaharagamaMaharagama
Maharagama is a Town, Municipal Area in the Colombo District and a suburb of Colombo Sri Lanka. Situated on the High-Level Road about 15 km away from the centre of the commercial capital Colombo, Maharagama is the city with the third largest population , in Sri Lanka. It developed rapidly in...
, a railroad town 12 miles southeast of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
to Sir Arthur Solomn de Fonseka and lady Agnus de Fonseka. Tissa is also the grandson of Sir Carolis de Fonseka, who was a Mudliar to the British and is the great-grandson of Sir Solomn de Fonseka, who was a Gate Mudliar, although Tissa hails from the House of Greenlands in Havlock town, his father and mother happened to be middle-class folk. Due to loss of wealth, Tissa's father declared bankruptcy in 1949; however, it was after this that Tissa said he found himself..[1] He was not sent to school until age 11 due to poor health, and was tutored at home, after which he was educated at Dharmapala Vidyalaya; as a result of his father's loss he was unable to be tutored at home.[2] In school Tissa excelled as an outstanding marksman both as a junior and senior cadet, and also as a brilliant soccer player all the way to first fifteen. Tissa eventually held duties as Head Prefect. Tissa was to go to university to gain an L.L.B. and become a practicing lawyer, as did most members in his father's family; however, a liking to cinema developed in him, which caused curiosity, which eventually led to him being a critic, and a chance meeting with Dr. Lester James peries led him to find his inner film maker. Greatly disapprovingly his father allowed him to go on this endeavor, which today is looked on by more than 20 million people as a life worth living.
Career
Tissa began his artistic career as a short-story writer writing in Sinhala, when he was still a teenage schoolboy. His short stories were prominently featured in the DinaminaDinamina
Founded on December 17 1909, the Dinamina is a Sinhalese daily that claims the largest circulation among Sinhalese-speaking peoples in Sri Lanka. The newspaper was founded by the Sinhalese scholar H.S. Perera who acted as both owner and editor-in-chief of the paper at the outset. Upon Perera's...
and Janatha national newspapers. Barely out of his teens, he published a collection of Sinhala short stories, which received favourable reviews, bringing him to the notice of Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra
Ediriweera Sarachchandra
Ediriweera Sarachchandra was an Sri Lankan playwright, novelist, poet, literary critic, essayist and social commentator. Considered Sri Lanka's premier playwright, he was a senior lecturer at the University of Peradeniya for many years and served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to France .- Early...
, who hailed him as "an outstanding original voice in Sinhala creative writing who shows promise of developing into a major talent".
However a chance meeting with Dr. Lester James Peries
Lester James Peries
Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries is an internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, and film producer. An active filmmaker since 1949, Peries has been involved in over 28 films, including shorts and documentaries...
in the early 1960s lured him to the cinema, where he remained for the next 40 years. Tissa developed into an accomplished screenplay writer before he was 30. The screenplay he wrote for "Welikatara" was the first which launched him on a distinguished career as Sri Lanka's foremost screenplay writer. In 'Weikathara' he demonstrated his skill as a screenplay writer for the first time.(Previously he was credited only as "Additional Dialog Writer" for Lester James Films). "Welikatara" was followed by "Binaramali" and most importantly, Nidhanaya
Nidhanaya
Nidhanaya is a 1972 Sinhalese language film directed by Lester James Peries, starring Gamini Fonseka and Malini Fonseka. Movie is based on a short story written by G.B.Senanayake in one of his short story collection known as "The Revenge". It revolves around a murder which is committed for the...
and Welikathara
Welikathara
Welikathara is a 1971 dramatic film made by Sri Lankan director D. B. Nihalsinghe.-Plot:The film is about the clash between Goring Mudalali and ASP Randeniya .-Cast:-Production:...
. He made over 40 documentaries for the Government Film Unit before breaking through as a feature filmmaker with Karumakkarayo, based on Gunadasa Amarasekara
Gunadasa Amarasekara
Gunadasa Amarasekera is a prominent Sinhala writer, poet, and essayist from Sri Lanka. Gunadasa Amarasekera was born in Yattalamatta in Galle District. He was educated at Mahinda College, Galle and Nalanda College Colombo...
's controversial novel. This was followed by Mahagedara (1983) and then the highly successful Viragaya (1988) based on Martin Wickramasinghe
Martin Wickramasinghe
Martin Wickramasinghe , MBE was a Sri Lankan novelist. His books have been translated into several langues....
's novel, which was considered unfilmable. Viragaya is considered one of the finest Sinhala films ever made.
In 1996, Abeysekara won the prestigious Gratiaen Prize
Gratiaen Prize
The Gratiaen Prize is an annual literary prize for best work of literary writing in English by a resident Sri Lankan. It was founded in 1992 by the Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist Michael Ondaatje with the money he received as joint-winner of the Booker Prize for his novel The English Patient...
for the best piece of Creative Writing in English for that year by a resident Sri Lankan for a novella Bringing Tony Home. He continued writing mostly in English, bringing out another collection of three stories, titled In My Kingdom of the Sun and the Holy Peak.
He was Chairman of the National Film Corporation from 1999 to 2001. He was subsequently the Director of the Sri Lanka Television Training Institute. Abeysekara served on the Boards of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the Aesthetic Institute of Sri Lanka, affiliated to the University of Kelaniya
University of Kelaniya
The University of Kelaniya is a state university of Sri Lanka. Situated just outside the municipal limits of Colombo, in the ancient and historic city of Kelaniya, the University has two major campuses, seven locations, six faculties and four institutions....
, as a Council Member of the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo, and as a Trustee of the National Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka.
Scriptwriter and film director
- 1963
- Gamperaliya – Dialogue Writer
- 1965
- Delovak Atara – Dialogue Writer. Award for Best Dialogue Writer.
- 1966
- Baduth Ekka Horu – Story and Screenplay
- Binaramalee – Screenplay. For film based on the popular Radio Series by Mudalinayaka Somaratna. Sarasaviya Award for Best Screenplay.
- 1967
- Welikathara – Story, Screenplay and Dialogue
- 1968
- Akkara Paha – Screenplay. For film Directed by Lester James Peries, based on the Novel by Madawala S. Ratnayaka.
- 1969
- Nidhanaya – Screenplay. Directed by Lester James Peries, based on a short story by G.B. Senanayake. OCIC Award for Best Screenplay. Film selected the Best Sinhala Film in 50 years of Sri Lankan Cinema, in 1997, at the Critics Poll.
- 1971
- Veeduru Geval – Story, Screenplay and Dialogue. Time and the Nation, and 2 other documentary films scripted in English for internationally renowned German filmmaker, Paul Zils.
- 1976
- Puran Appu – Screenplay and Dialogue, for film on the leader of the 1848 Rebellion, directed by Lester James Peries. Presidential Award for Best Screenplay.
- 1977
- Ahasin Polowata – Screenplay based on the novel by Aileen Siriwardene, for film directed by Sumitra Peries. Presidential and OCIC Awards for Best Screenplay.
- 1990
- Kulageya – Screenplay, based on a story by Benedict Dodampegama, for film directed by H.D. Premaratne. Sarasaviya Award for Best Screenplay.
- 1991
- Gurugedara – Story, Screenplay and Dialogue, for film directed by Vijaya Dharmasiri. Sarasaviya Award for Best Screenplay.
- 1992
- Loku Duwa – Screenplay based on a novel by Jayakody Seneviratne, for film directed by Sumitra Peries. Presidential Award for Best Screenplay.
- 2002
- Sakman Maluwa – Dialogue for film based on a short story by Godfrey Gunatilaka, and directed by Sumitra Peries.
Film and television
1971. Ape Langama. A documentary on the CTB. 1972. SAHAN ELIYA. A feature-documentary, on the Co-operative Movement in Sri Lanka. Produced for the Government Film Unit. 1973. RATTARAN. A Short Film, on Savings, produced for the Government Film Unit. 1973–1976. Writes and directs over 40 documentary films for the Government Film Unit, in the capacity of Film Director permanently on the GFU Staff. Of these, 02 films, THE LAND REBORN, made for the Habitat Conference of 1974, and CHANGING LEAVES, made for the Non Aligned Summit, are special. Also loaned to the United States Information Agency (USIA) to make a Documentary on the nineteenth century American- Theosophist, Colonel Henry Steele Olcott in Sri Lanka, to commemorate the Bicentennial of American Independence. 1977. Began working as Writer/Director. On his debut feature film, Karumakkarayo, based on Gunadasa Amarasekara’s Don Pedrick Prize winning novel 1980. Writes, directs and produces, MAHAGEDARA. Presidential Awards for Best Film and Best Screenplay; Sarasaviya Awards for Best Film, Screenplay and Direction. 1981. Writes & Directs, SURYAMUKHI in Nepal, on the Population Dynamics of the country, for the Royal-Nepal Population Commission, and sponsored by the US/AID. 1983/84. Writes and Directs 02 films for Sri Lanka Rupavahini, LELI (based on a short story by Martin Wickremasingha, and BICYKALE, (based on a short story by Gunadasa Amarasekara).LELI, wins Merit Award at the Prix Futura Berlin, 1984UNDA Award of the International Catholic Office, for Best Single Episode, Tele-drama. 1984/85. Writes , directs and produces, 02 television series for the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka, titled, GANGAVATARANAYA and THUNKAL SIHINAYA 1985. Begins work on his third feature film, VIRAGAYA, based on Martin Wickremasingha’s celebrated novel. Completed in 1986, the film sweeps all the major awards in the three festivals held in that year, Sarasaviya, OCIC and Swarna Sankha, including those for Best Film, Best Direction, and Best Script.Film was also invited for Moscow, Montreal, and Hawaii International Film Festivals.In the Critics Poll of 1997, to choose the Ten Best Sinhala Films of 50 Years of Sri Lankan Cinema, VIRAGAYA, is selected Third. 1987. Writes, directs and produces, 12 part television series, titled DOLOS MAHE GANGAWA, for the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka. 1989. Writes and directs, a television film, EKA GEI AVURUDDHA, based on a short story by K. Jayatlleke. 1990. Writes, directs and produces, A TALE OF TWO LANGUAGES, a 45-minute documentary, on the relationship between the Sinhala and Tamil languages for the International Centre for Ethnic Studies. 1993. February to September. Writes, directs and produces Part One, of a 12-hour television series in 28 episodes titled, PITAGAMKARAYO, in technical collaboration with the Sri Lanka Television Training Institute. 1995. February – August, writes, directs and produces, for Singer(Sri Lanka)Ltd, a television series based on R.L Spittel’s anthropological novel, VANASARANA (Savage Sanctuary) in 24 episodes. 1995/96. Completes 02nd Part of PITAGAMKARAYO. 1997. Writes, directs and produces a special documentary on Madame Sirimavo Bandaranaike to mark her 80th birthday. PITAGAMKARAYO begins telecast, and, wins all the major National Awards for television production in Sri Lanka, at the Sumathi, and OCIC tele-awards. 1999. Writes, directs and produces, THE SUN & THE MOONSTONE, a major documentary on the culture and history, the peoples and landscape of Sri Lanka, sponsored by the People’s Bank. 2000. Writes, and produces, ROOTS OF PARADISE, a documentary on the ruined cities of Sri Lanka, sponsored by the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka. 2003. Writes, directs, and produces, an 08 part documentary series, on the ethnic divide in the border villages of Sri Lanka, titled, Other Peoples, Other Voices, for the Human Rights Commission, Colombo, and funded by the EU.Literature
1961. IPANELLA. Collection of Sinhala Short Stories. 1961/63. Theatre & Film Critic for the DAVASA Group of newspapers. 1993. VIRAGAYA. Screenplay 1997. PITAGAMKARAYO. A Sinhala Novel in 02 Parts 1998. BRINGING TONY HOME (Novella in English) Winner Gratiaen Prize for Best Piece of English Creative Writing by a Resident Sri Lankan for 1996 (Awarded in manuscript form prior to publication)Included as Michael Ondaatje’s choice in the Lost Classics Series, published as a book by Bloomsbury, London reached an average of 78,500,000 internet searches in under ten months of publishing making it the highest searched book in south east Asia. 2000. SINEMA SITHUVILI. A collection of a Q & A column on the cinema, first appearing in the film-weekly, Visitura 2004. RUPA-SWARUPA. Collection of essays on the cinema, written in Sinhala over a period of 30 years. 2005. IN MY KINGDOM OF THE SUN & THE HOLY PEAK. Three Stories in English.Seminars & Conferences attended relating to Literature. 2001. Attended Conference on SAARC Literature in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on invitation from the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature. New Delhi. 2002. Presented Paper on Sri Lankan Literature at the Conference on South Asian Literature held in New Delhi’ 2003. Chairman, Panel of Judges for Gratiaen Prize. 2004. Represents Sri Lanka at the SAARC Writers Conference, in Lahore and read Paper on English Writing in South Asia. 2005. March. Participated, by invitation, and delivered Paper, at the 50th Anniversary Conference of the Sahithya Akademi of India/New Delhi. 2006. Attended Katha Asia, Literary Festival, held in New Delhi by invitation from Katha Asia Organisation.
Film studies and film culture
Conferences, Workshops & Symposia attended, on Film. 1982 July to September. Conducted Workshop at the Worldview International Foundation, Kathmandu, Nepal, on Video Production. 1987. Symposium on City in Film, at the Hawaii International Film Festival. 1989. Invited to present Paper on Andrei Tarkovsky, at the Andrei Tarkovsky Readings, Moscow. 1994. Invited as speaker at a seminar on the Influence of the American Film on South Asian Cinema, at the American Studies Center, Hyderabad, India. 1997. Invited by the South Asian Institute of the Heidelberg University, for a screening of Pitagamkarayo, and a Symposium chaired by prestigious German Filmmaker, Edgar Reitz. 2002. Presented Paper by invitation at Seminar, Understanding Hollywood: From Real to Reel, at Chandigarh, India, sponsored by United States Education Foundation, India. 2004. June 13 – 20. Conducted Workshop on Hollywood Film at the Sri Lanka Television Training Institution, for the American Embassy.Academic Activities/Teaching Film 1984. Begins work as Guest Lecturer on History and Aesthetics of Film, at the Aesthetic Institute, of the University of Kelaniya. Continues same in the Universities of Sri Jayawardenapura, Colombo, and Kelaniya Universities. 1989. Course Director on a course on Writing for Television at the Sri Lanka Television Training Institute. 1990. Course Director on Writing for television, conducted by the Sri Lanka Television Training Institute; July. 2005. Conducted workshop at Wakwella, Galle, for the National Cultural Foundation with funding from US/AID, on the Basics of Film Craft and Aesthetics, to the rural youth of the Tsunami affected areas of the South.
Travels abroad on Film Festivals/Film Studies/Visitorships etc. 1982. Member, Sri Lanka delegation to the Tashkent International Film Festival, USSR. 1983. Visits Satyajit Ray in Calcutta. 1987. Visits U.K on a British Council Grant to view and study the films of Alfred Hitchcock from his British period. Also participates at the London Film Festival as accredited guest. 1987/88. Visits the US, on an International Visitorship Grant from USIA, to tour the film archives at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Library of Congress, Washington, Film departments of the State University of Ohio, and UCLA, interacting with film academics, curators, and archivists, nd researching into the early period of American cinema. 1988. Visits, Stockholm, Sweden, for a programme of films by Ingmar Bergman, specially arranged by courtesy of the Swedish Film Institute. 1989. Second visit to Stockholm to view more films by Ingmar Bergman, and make preliminary arrangements for a Bergman Retrospective in Colombo.In November, 1989, leaves for Paris, on an invitation, by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for a programme at the Cinematheque Francaise. 1990. On invitation by the Goethe Institute, Colombo, participates in a retrospective of Documentary films from the Federal Republic of Germany, titled, Starting Towards Freedom, held at the Max Muhler Bhavan, New Delhi. 2002. September 29 – October 3. On invitation from the Japan Foundation/Asia Center, for the Sri Lankan Film Festival. Film Viragaya screened.
As Organiser/Curator/Juror 1989. October, curated and presented a Retrospective of Bergman Films in Colombo, in collaboration with the Swedish Film Institute, Stockholm, and the Swedish Embassy, Colombo. 1990. Director, South Asian Documentary and Short Film Festival, Colombo. Sponsored by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies. 2002. April/May. Jury Member, International Film Festival, Kerala.
Administrative and honorary positions held
1972-1980. Film Director; Government Film Unit. 1999 August – 2001 December; Chairman/CEO, National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka 2004, July. Assumed duties as Director, Sri Lanka Television training Institute. Position being still held. 2004. Appointed Board Member, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. 2005, August. Appointed Member of the Governing Council for the University of Visual & Performing arts, Sri Lanka. 2005, September, Appointed Member of National Heritage Trist of Sri Lanka. 2006, July. Appointed Member Boards of Study of the National Centre for advanced Studies.National honors
- 1996. Awarded Honorary Lifetime Membership for Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Television in Sri Lanka.
- 1997. Kalasuri State Honour for contribution to Sri Lankan Film.
- 1998. Sarvodaya National Award, for Contribution to the Communication Arts
- 1998, April 20. Awarded, Vishwaprasidini State Honour for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts.
- 2005, September. Awarded, Ranathisara for Lifetime Achievement in Film in Sri Lanka at the Sarasaviya Nationa; Awards.
- 2005, November. Conferred, Deshabandu, National Honour by the Government of Sri[Lanka, for Unique Contribution to the Nation.
Marriage and children
He and his wife Asanka have two children, Svetlana Kamalochini and Dimitra Amithodana. He has another three daughters Aparna Nirmohi, Noriko Maduwanthi, Charulatha Swethambari, from his previous marriage. He has briefly mentiond the Children's names in his Book "Ayale Giya Sithaka Satahan" (Memoirs of a wondering Mind)Death and afterward
Tissa Abeysekara died on April 18, 2009 at Colombo National Hospital after having been admitted in the Coronary Care Unit for a heart condition (Myocardial infarctionMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
) which was treated for. And on the scheduled day for Tissa To be taken home he complained of what to him was a Sever headache to which the doctors gave no attention having only treated him with asprin until the relevant Doctor was to discharge him so he could be taken to the Neuro Department, Tissa Condition had worsened within a matter of hours and all though his wife had requested the doctors immediate attention and priority to be given the relevant Heart surgeon was to arrive almost 7 hours late and after having rushed tissa to the Neuro surgical intensive care unit it was assessed that a delay in bringing him had caused one third the brain space to be filled with blood causing immense pressure to build up in the left sector of his brain (a sudden Cerebral hemorrhage) also killing one 1/3 of the cells, two surgeries were conducted and it was re-assessed that the chances in Tissa making it would be slimmer than 1% and if he did no one was to know the condition he would be in...at 5.55PM on April 18 Tissa was pronounced dead, in a short time span of under 1/2 an hour this news was to reach expatriate friends and Family via the media...Tissa's loss was to be grieved by both local and international communities in the fields of Film, Music, Literature, Art and Politics his absence has been described by many as "The void that he has left can only be understood if one looks at a washed away painting and understands and realizes that its beauty can never be glorified or recreated again" A Service of Remembrance for him was held at the Chapel of the Hope of the World, Ladies' College, Colombo, on May 7, 2009.
A memorial service was held at the Chapel of the Hope of the World, Ladies' college Colombo7, to commemorate his one year death anniversary.
Published works
- Ipanella (short stories)
- Pitagamkarayo (novel)
- Ayale Giya Sithaka Satahan (essays)
- Rupa-Svarupa (essay on film)
- Cinema Sithuvili (on the art of film)
- Bringing Tony Home (Forbidden Territory, 1988; first US publication by North Atlantic Books, 2008)
- In My Kingdom of the Sun and the Holy Peak (Vijitha Yapa Publications, 2004)
- Roots, Reflections and Reminiscences (Sarasavi Publishers, 2007)
Awards
- 1978: Presidential Award -Best Supporting Actor Award, Veera Puran Appu
- 1983: Sarasaviya Best Director AwardSarasaviya Best Director AwardThe Sarasaviya Best Director Award is presented annually by the weekly Sarasaviya newspaper in collaboration with the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited as part of the Sarasaviya Awards Festival. It was first given in 1964....
, Mahagedara - 1988: Sarasaviya Best Director Award, Viragaya
- 1996: Gratiaen Prize, Bringing Tony Home
- 1998: Kala Suri
- 2005: DeshabanduDeshabanduDeshabandu is a National Honours of Sri Lanka, a civil honour awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka. It is conventionally used as a title or prefix to the awardees name. Deshabandu ranks lower than Deshamanya.-Awardees:Awardees include:*N. H. Keerthiratne...
- 2007: honorary doctorate, University of ColomboUniversity of ColomboThe University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...