It Will Be Yours

In 2013, I assisted Upeksha Gurusinghe in producing her debut film, ‘It Will Be Yours.’ I played multiple roles in the production, from writing the screenplay and serving as co-director, the director of photography, to finally editing the film. At that time, I worked as a lecturer at the Image Arts unit at the University of Kelaniya, and in my capacity as the Project Supervisor for final-year students, I became involved with Upeksha’s project. She had already conceptualized the telefilm. We collaborated on drafting the script and screenplay. I would describe ‘It Will Be Yours’ as the successful outcome of academic interest and creative energy.

This 45-minute telefilm deviated from the arbitrary convention of short films being the norm for the final-year work of university students. Despite being an amateur filmmaker, Upeksha provided invaluable input into the planning process of the film. During filmmaking, we faced numerous challenges due to a lack of resources and issues with study models. However, the crew’s dedication and determination helped us overcome these challenges.

‘It Will Be Yours’ was distinctive as the film unfolded the story without a single dialogue throughout its entirety. We completed filming in four short days in Mannar, Sri Lanka. Budget and time restrictions meant that we had to find inventive ways to minimize production costs and manage time effectively. With the exception of actors, the crew involved in the production consisted of amateurs (junior university students).

We screened the film in January 2014 at the National Art Gallery, Colombo.