Between Two Worlds

Jayasundara returns to his homeland, Sri Lanka, and its ferocious 26-year civil war––also the subject of his acclaimed debut, The Forsaken Land. Four years later, the fighting has ceased but the stark reminders of war are not easily erased in a country where witnessing horror was part of everyday life. In a narrative told through striking atmospheric images, a man washes up on shore and makes his way to a city beset by violence. Here he rescues a foreign woman, and together they literally head for the hills. But instead of providing refuge, the countryside slowly reveals hidden dangers. Shooting in widescreen compositions that showcase Sri Lanka’s sublime lushness, Jayasundara magically conjures up images that turn the initially enigmatic into the unsettling. The film’s contemplative moments are interspersed with stark flashes of violence that serve to shock and disturb, never allowing us to forget the trauma of the civil war. While Between Two Worlds never sets out to explain the conflict, the film does illuminate it through Jayasundara’s masterful use of symbolism and his ability to invoke empathy. (Seattle International Film Festival) Print Source: Memento Films International