United in Film
Postgraduate Chinthaka Senadeera wants to use his unique and challenging upbringing in Sri Lanka to promote peace and tolerance around the world.
On Saturday 10th October, 2009, at the Hamilton Gardens Victorian Glass House, postgraduate film student Chinthaka Pathmendra Senadeera set out to record an ambitious documentary project.
H. Chinthaka Pathmendra Senadeera Waikato Institute of Technology (Film) - Honours Degree project.
As part of his Honours Degree, Senadeera recorded a multi-camera interfaith discussion between Christian, Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic leaders. By mixing this recorded dialogue with footage previously shot in India, Senadeera created Hidden Reflection of Belief, an hour-long documentary film on world religion and peace, which asks the questions, “Have you really looked at your own self? What you are? What you believe in?” Senadeera says his production focuses on religious beliefs, as well as ethical beliefs, and aims to show the contrast between different faiths through a one-hour documentary film. “It’s about taking a look at yourself and your core beliefs. This is what the film is all about, looking at yourself and the way you live, in a way that you’ve never seen before.”
His father dedicated his life to social service and he became one of the NGO leaders in Sri Lanka. He was the founding member of ACTION-Global network. “I would say his influence is the major reason that I developed my attitude to social issues. We had lots of debates and discussions on conflicts and its outcomes. I think he is the one who stimulated me into this field.”
As a filmmaker, Senadeera is drawn to social issues and enjoys the diversity of subjects and issues in the world today. “Filmmaking is the creative product of the world we live in. My role has been very interesting as I’ve begun to work on my films, and search for ‘human interest’ through inhumanity.” He developed his interest in filmmaking after attending a video production course organised by the Deccan Development Society (DDS) in India in 1999. He has since made 17 documentary films on a range of issues. “But Hidden Reflection of Belief is a unique project. It has been in my mind since mid 2005.”
The concept behind his project was to engage in an open discussion about world religions and different belief systems. “Ignorance is the main cause for conflicts among societies. Therefore it is very important for us to understand the issue first, and then the approach or path we should take to find the solution.” Senadeera graduated from the Loyola College, Hyderabad, in an undergraduate course in Mass Communication, and was offered a scholarship to undertake a one-year Postgraduate Honours course at the Wintec School of Media Arts. His Honours project aims to make a small contribution to the subject of world peace by helping people to understand the cause of conflict. “It is a vast subject to discuss and difficult to approach in a one-hour documentary film. Therefore I have focused only on the concept of religion and belief systems.”
“My approach to the issue of world peace is to avoid ignorance and spread awareness.”
Senadeera sees a modern world where religions strive for similar goals, but differ on some core details. “When we look at world religion, we see two major groups whose teachings and belief systems are based on the cycle of life. In other words, the concept of ‘re-birth’. But many religions, especially Christianity and Islam, do not believe in this concept. Buddhism and Hinduism are based on this re-birth concept. To examine this conflict I have interviewed more than 100 people representing diverse belief systems and religions from Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and New Zealand.”
The film’s content developed as he conducted interviews and recorded visual material of rituals and traditional practices. “To provide the framework, though, I organised the Interfaith Open Panel Discussion at Hamilton Gardens. I wanted to make room for people to question ideas related to different teachings. The panel discussed three major questions, and then it was open for the public to ask question from them on related issues. My approach to the issue of world peace is to avoid ignorance and spread awareness.”
During the development of his project, Senadeera also talked to people who experienced the mysterious or religious in other ways. He spoke to those who had gone through near-death experiences, which he said was “extremely interesting.” He also talked to people who had put themselves into a trance, as well as those with multiple personalities. “This is a very important part of the film as I got very rare footage and stories.”
But by the time Senadeera reached the end of his project he found he wasn’t even close to concluding it. “This film has no conclusion, and I am not a person to conclude this subject. As a filmmaker the scope of this project was to spread awareness.” If he can draw any conclusion to the project, though, it’s this: “Looking at the diversity of belief systems in the world today, instead of the differences, will help you to enjoy and respect each other, and every kind of belief.”