The Animate Her Series features the animated interviews of seven inspiring women working in the diverse fields of the arts, sciences and technology in Sri Lanka. The series is directed by Irushi Tennekoon and funded by a grant from the British Council’s Creating Heroines programme.
Thaji Dias is a performance artist and teacher, specialising in traditional Sri Lankan dance. She hails from a family of dancers and draws inspiration from her grandparents Guru Chithrasena and Vajira. Despite its traditional roots in the male form, the females of Chitrasena’s family continue to preserve, innovate and present these art forms on the modern stage.
In this short animated film, marine biologist and ocean educator Dr. Asha de Vos talks about the giant blue whale skeleton that inspired her as a child, and the challenges of being a South Asian woman in science.
In this short animated interview, wildlife conservationist Anya Ratnayaka talks about how Colombo is a complex wetland habitat – a fact that is little known to its own residents. The Colombo wetlands prevent floods, acts as a disease control, and is also home to the elusive Fishing Cat!
In this short animation, technology entreprenuer Lakmini Wijesundera talks about her passion to start and build innovative IT products and platforms that create a global impact. By sharing her story, Lakmini advices young technology entrepreneurs to embrace risk and bear in mind that luck is derived from hark work.
In this short film, architect Amila de Mel talks about one of her most challenging projects to date – the relocation of the home of renowned artist Ena de Silva from Colombo to Lunuganga in Bentota.
In this film, beloved children’s author and illustrator Sybil Wettasinghe (1927-2020) recalls her childhood in the village and the inspiration behind her award winning children’s book, Kuda Hora or Umbrella Thief.
Growing up in a family of lawyers, Human Rights lawyer, Ramani Muttetuwegama was inspired by the litigants from various walks of life and different parts of the country who sought her parents’ services. In this short animated film, Ramani talks about her work as an advocate for post war disappeared persons in Sri Lanka.
Animate Her: Curated Exhibition and Animation Screenings in Colombo (2020 and 2022)
Drawing from my academic and educational background, the two ‘ Animate Her’ exhibitions in 2020 and 2022 portray a conscious effort to highlight the creative process and conceptual underpinnings of my experiments with the moving image form. Alongside the film screenings, the exhibition showcased the collaborative nature of animation film production through the documentation of still images and behind the scenes videos. In providing insight into these aspects, I believe viewers will develop a richer understanding and appreciation of animation as a powerful artistic medium for storytelling. By exhibiting how these films contribute to the retelling of significant narratives from South Asia, I hope to extend the reach of the stories, particularly those of the women portrayed, to wider and more diverse audiences.
The story behind the Animate Her Series: This was a recorded guest talk for the EyeMyth Media Arts Festival in India in March 2022.
