House of My Fathers

TRAILER

SYNOPSIS

Two Sri Lankan villages – one Tamil, one Sinhala – have been at war with each other for decades. When, on both sides, villagers become infertile, they receive a message from the gods. A Sinhala man and a Tamil woman are to be sent to an isolated place where they will find the secret to renew life. But only one of them will return. In the Forest of the Dead, Asoka and Ahalya will have to confront the secrets of their villages and their personal pasts.

GALLERY

REVIEWS

“House of My Fathers celebrates the birth of a distinctive directorial voice”
Film Review: The Hollywood Reporter

“What distinguishes Suba Sivakuraman’s feature-length debut from, say, other recent gritty takes on the subject,  is its magical-realist narrative and equally mesmerizing imagery”
Film Review: The Hollywood Reporter

“House of my Fathers” is a more than hopeful debut, from a director who seems to have much to say”
Film Review: Asian Movie Pulse

“Sivakumatari seems to suggest the violence is a problem wherever it comes from, either from political or simple reasons of origin”
Film Review: Asian Movie Pulse

“The director conveys a rather pessimistic message, as she seems to state that no ray of hope is shining in the relationship of the two Sri Lankan opposing factions any time soon”
Film Review: Asian Movie Pulse

“Suba Sivakumaran directs a film that unfolds much like a road movie, through a surrealistic trip to the awful consequences of war”
Film Review: Asian Movie Pulse

Despite her background in political science, she wanted to work in film and in 2012 directed her first short feature titled “I Too Have a Name” [“Enakkum oru per”]
Film Review: Asian Movie Pulse

“The House of my Fathers’ ensure that the weighty ideas land safely by the end”
MAMI Review, MAMI Film Festival: High On Films

“The first time film-maker Suba Sivakumaran weaves a meditative mood-piece on socio-political issues that prevails in Sri Lanka since ages”
MAMI Review, MAMI Film Festival: High On Films

“It will be the first Sri Lankan film on the slate of Asian Shadows, the Hong Kong-based sales agency representing Asian talent such as Chinese Wang Bing’s “Mrs. Fang,” a Golden Leopard Winner in 2017,  and Thai Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s “Die Tomorrow,” premiered in Berlin this year”
Interview: VARIETY

“The film is a mesmerising and poetic debut with a magical-realist narrative by Sri Lankan filmmaker Suba Sivakumaran”
Film Review: SINDIE

“A thought-provoking piece, Sivakumaran ends the film with ambiguity, hinting at the possibility of a better future for this child who born to parents from rival villages”
Film Review: SINDIE

“Reality is suspended and yet this film says something more than many ‘war’ films…”
Interview:  Asian Culture Vulture

“Suba Sivakumaran’s debut film tackles the memory of her country with an exceptional elegance”
Video at FIFDH 19 Genève: Competition-Fiction

“A highly relevant magic realist fairy tale with an acerbic undertone”
News: Asian Movie Pulse

“Suba’s debut effort House of My Fathers is the most interesting production of the Seventh Derana Film Festival 2019”
Interview on Derana Film Awards: SUNDAY OBSERVER, Winner of the Most Promising Filmmaker Award – DFA 2019

HOUSE OF MY FATHERS is part of the 48th International Film Festival of Rotterdam’s Bright Future section, and it couldn’t be a more accurate categorisation.
Interview: Take One

“A potent mix of brutality and catharsis, it’s a film of immense beauty that does not shy away from the trauma of conflict”
BFI news, features and opinion: Senior Programmer Kate Taylor introduces the list of women in the director’s chair at this year’s Festival.

House Of My Fathers, which plays at the London Film Festival, and has been making waves across the globe.
Interview: BBC ASIAN NETWORK By Ashanti Omkar

Sri Lankan born film-maker Suba Sivakumaran was recently the winner of The Most Promising Filmmaker Award at the seventh Derana Film Awards 2019.
Documentary: Channel Pulse.lk

Clip | GeoMovies

Director : Suba Sivakumaran / Sri Lanka, UK/2018/Colour/100’/ Tamil, Sinhalese
Article: Hamburg Film Festival

She has over 14 years’ experience in leading the design, implementation, and evaluation of private sector development programs.
Article: on Nathan; Suba Sivakumaran

CAST & CREW

Bimal Jayakodi

Asoka

Bimal Jayakodi is a leading actor, singer and all-round thespian in Sri Lanka, having acted in over 30 films, 30 teledramas and multiple other content. Jayakodi was born as the eldest of the family, where his father was a regional politician and also an actor. His brother is a musician. He met his wife Sujani Menaka, who is also a Sri Lankan teledrama and film actress during the teledrama Ramya Suramya in 2000. Bimal’s films have been selected at multiple international film festivals where he has been highly commended for his performance.

Pradeepa

Ahalya

Pradeepa is a producer and social entrepreneur in her normal life. House of My Fathers was the first film she has acted in. She was named in Variety’s prestigious 40 under 40 “Hollywood’s New Leaders: 2016” while she was Head of Development at Machinima Inc. She was also named by NBC Universal as one of the 26 Asian American’s to watch out for in 2017. Pradeepa got her start by heading production for The YOMYOMF Network, which was part of YouTube’s original content initiative. YOMYOMF was founded by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious / Star Trek Beyond). Pradeepa is passionate about using media and technology to empower disenfranchised communities. She worked closely with schools and educators in Northern Sri Lanka training them in production techniques. Pradeepa was also a 2017 Acumen Global Fellow. Currently, Pradeepa is the Head of Content Strategy for Snake Nation, a disruptive media and technology company based in Cape Town, South Africa, where she will be the global lead to expand Planned Parenthood’s global initiative in Burkina Faso.

Steve de la Zilwa

Father / Doctor Michael

Steve de la Zilwa is a veteran actor and director based in Sri Lanka. Of Burgher origin, Steve has acted in multiple award-winning films and was a leading director of English theatre in Sri Lanka. Steve was also the co-founder of the wrap factory, a prolific ad-film company in Sri Lanka and directed over 500 ads in Sri Lanka over the last four decades.

Dasun Pathirana

Leader of Sinhala Village

Dasun Pathirana is a leading Sri Lankan actor and model, working in films, television and media since 2002. He has received many awards for his acting both in Sri Lanka and internationally and has taken on a wide variety of roles in his career.

Dharshen Dharmaraj

Leader of Tamil Village

Dharshen Dharmaraj is a leading Sri Lankan Tamil actor, having worked in many films, television and media for the last decade. He has received many awards in his career, having acted in films of both languages in Sri Lanka.

FILM FESTIVALS

  • Busan IFF 2018, New Currents Competition
  • BFI London Film Festival, Debate Strand
  • International Film Festival Rotterdam IFFR 2019, Bright Future Section, 
  • Hamburg Filmfest, Political Competition
  • MAMI 2018, Mumbai, World Cinema Section
  • Hawaii International Film Festival, Competition
  • Singapore International Film Festival, Competition,
  • Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), Competition
  • Seattle International Film Festival
  • Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival
  • International Film Festival Kerala, Official Selection
  • Dharamshala International Film Festival, Official Selection
  • xiii.Kolkata International Film Festival, Official Selection

CONTACT