Cinema took centre stage in the Netherlands as the award-winning Sri Lankan film 'Bambaru Avith' (The Wasps Are Here) had a special screening at Amsterdam's Eye Filmmuseum on November 01.
The event was staged by the Sri Lankan Embassy in The Hague together with the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka. Officials from Dutch ministries, diplomats, academics, cultural figures, and members of the local Sri Lankan community gathered to mark 75 years of bilateral diplomatic relations.
Connecting through cinema
Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Netherlands Rekha Gunasekera pointed to the island's rich heritage and noted how local directors capture universal human themes. She said the event helped promote local cinema abroad while tightening cultural bonds.
Annemarie van der Heijden from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs brought up the deep historical connections between both nations, identifying areas like maritime security, port development, undersea infrastructure, culture, heritage, and tourism for future partnership.
Eye Filmmuseum's Director of Collection and Knowledge Sharing, Maral Mohsenin, praised cinema's role in linking cultures and shared interest in hosting more Sri Lankan films.
A celebrated classic
Directed by the late Dharmasena Pathiraja with music by the late Premasiri Khemadasa, 'Bambaru Avith' holds a unique place in history as the first South Asian movie restored by the Asian Film Archive in Singapore.
According to the Embassy, ties go back nearly 425 years, while official diplomatic relations started on November 23, 1951. After the film, guests enjoyed traditional Sri Lankan sweets, savouries, and Ceylon tea.
