Gratiaen Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 6 (1996) Winner
Tissa Abeysekara
ティッサ・アベーセカラ
Tissa Ananda Abeysekara
Aliases:
Tissa Ananda de Fonseka / Thissa Abeysekara
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1939-05-07 （Maharagama, Sri Lanka）
- Died
- 2009-04-18 （Colombo, Sri Lanka） age 69
- Nationality
- Sri Lankan
- Languages
- Sinhala, English
- Residence History
- Greenlands, Havelock Town, Colombo → Maharagama (birthplace)
Career
- Occupations
- Film director, Screenwriter, Actor, Writer, Film producer, Political activist
- Active Years
- 1955-2009
- Affiliations
- Lanka Sama Samaja Party, National Film Corporation (Chairman, 1999–2001), Sri Lanka Television Training Institute (Director), Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) — Chief Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (Board member), University of Visual and Performing Arts (Council member), National Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka (Trustee)
- Memberships
- Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL), Lanka Sama Samaja Party
- Influenced By
- Lester James Peries, Ediriweera Sarachchandra, Martin Wickramasinghe
- Influenced
- Subsequent generations of Sri Lankan filmmakers, Sinhala and English language writers in Sri Lanka
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dharmapala Vidyalaya | — | — | — | — | Sri Lanka |
| University of Colombo (honorary doctorate) | — | — | 名誉博士 | — | Sri Lanka |
Dharmapala Vidyalaya
Country:
Sri Lanka
Initially tutored at home; later attended Dharmapala Vidyalaya where he captained the school soccer team and served as head prefect.
University of Colombo (honorary doctorate)
Degree:
名誉博士
Year of Graduation:
2007
Country:
Sri Lanka
Awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Colombo in 2007.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Gratiaen Prize | Bringing Tony Home | — | Gratiaen Trust | 受賞 |
| 1998 | Kala Suri | — | 国家栄誉 | Government of Sri Lanka | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Deshabandu | — | 国家栄誉 | Government of Sri Lanka | 受賞 |
| 1978 | Presidential Award (Best Supporting Actor) | Veera Puran Appu (role: Kudapola Thero) | 演技 | Presidential Film Awards | 受賞 |
| 1983 | Sarasaviya Awards | Maha Gedara (Best Director) | 監督 / 脚本 | Sarasaviya | 受賞 |
| — | SAARC Literary Award | — | — | Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature | 受賞 |
Gratiaen Prize
1996
Work:
Bringing Tony Home
Organization:
Gratiaen Trust
Result:
受賞
Kala Suri
1998
Category:
国家栄誉
Organization:
Government of Sri Lanka
Result:
受賞
Deshabandu
2005
Category:
国家栄誉
Organization:
Government of Sri Lanka
Result:
受賞
Presidential Award (Best Supporting Actor)
1978
Work:
Veera Puran Appu (role: Kudapola Thero)
Category:
演技
Organization:
Presidential Film Awards
Result:
受賞
Sarasaviya Awards
1983
Work:
Maha Gedara (Best Director)
Category:
監督 / 脚本
Organization:
Sarasaviya
Result:
受賞
SAARC Literary Award
Organization:
Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
SAARC Literary Award
1 appearances
Works
Major Works
Bringing Tony Home
1995 Novella / Short novelA three-movement story dealing with home, memory and personal loss; one of his notable works in English.
nostalgialossidentity
Viragaya
1988 Drama (film)Film adaptation of Martin Wickramasinghe's novel; acclaimed for its psychological depth and regarded as one of the finest Sinhala films.
inner lifemorality and solitude
Maha Gedara
1983 Drama (film)A film he directed and wrote, addressing family and social conflicts; received awards including Best Director.
familysociety
Karumakkarayo
1980 Film (literary)Directed adaptation of Gunadasa Amarasekara's controversial novel; notable for cinematic expression informed by his documentary background.
social frictionhuman conflict
Bibliography
- Ipanella (short stories)
- Pitagamkarayo (teledrama)
- Ayale Giya Sithaka Satahan (essays)
- Rupa-Svarupa (essay on film)
- Cinema Sithuvili (on the art of film)
- Bringing Tony Home (1995)
- In My Kingdom of the Sun and the Holy Peak (2004)
- Roots, Reflections and Reminiscences (2007)
- Wiwurtha Arthikaya, Rupavahiniya, Chithrapata Sansthawa Saha Sinamawe Arbudayaya (1991)
- Wiragaya (screenplay, 1993)
- Guru Gedara (screenplay, 2011)
Adaptations
- Viragaya (film adaptation; directed and scripted by Abeysekara)
- Karumakkarayo (film adaptation; directed by Abeysekara)
- Maha Gedara (directed and written by Abeysekara)
Translations of Works
- Bringing Tony Home (published in English)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- cinematic and visual descriptionconcise, rhythmic narrationfocus on psychological characterization
- Recurring Motifs
- nostalgiafamily and society relationsmemory and identity
Health
-
Myocardial infarction2009年（入院時）Admitted with a heart condition (myocardial infarction) and died on 18 April 2009
Legacy
Tissa Abeysekara left a significant legacy in Sri Lankan cinema and literature. As a screenwriter, director and author he produced acclaimed works in both Sinhala and English, received national honors and literary awards, and continues to be commemorated through stamps, retrospectives and institutional recognition.
Academic Societies
- Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL)
Archives
- National Film Corporation archives
- National Library of Sri Lanka (related materials)
In Popular Culture
- Extensive funeral attendance, film retrospectives and a commemorative stamp were issued in his memory
Quotes
-
The BBC stated: "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."
Source: BBC (obituary) (2009)
Trivia
- Official info-box lists five children, but the article body mentions one daughter and one son; sources differ.
- His funeral in 2009 was reported as one of the most attended in the country's recent history.
- A commemorative stamp in his memory was reportedly issued by the Government of Sri Lanka in 2013 (citation needed).