The funeral of Sri Lanka’s first woman filmmaker, Dr. Sumithra Peries, took place at Independence Square, Colombo yesterday under state patronage.
Dr. Peries was Sri Lanka’s first female filmmaker and a key figure in bringing women’s stories to Sri Lankan cinema. She began her career as an Assistant Director and Editor.
She worked as a director, filmmaker, and screenwriter over the course of her career, which spanned more than ten films. Gehenu Lamai, Ganga Addara, and Yahaluvo are among her best-known works. Dr. Peries, born Sumithra Gunawardena in 1934, was married to the late Lester James Peries, widely regarded as the father of Sri Lankan cinema. She was also Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to France and Spain from 1996 to 1999, and she was later appointed as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United Nations.
