D.B. Nihalsinghe ‒ ඩී.බී. නිහාල්සිංහ / DB Nihālsiṁha (1939 –2016)
Diego Badaturuge Nihalsinghe (D.B. Nihalsinghe) a été un pionnier de la production télévisuelle en couleur à Sri Lanka et en Asie du Sud. Après avoir travaillé un temps comme caméraman de guerre au Vietnam, il rentre à Sri Lanka pour commencer une carrière cinématographique. Il est le directeur de la photographie et le monteur du long métrage de Siri Gunasinghe, Sath Samudura (1967), auquel il imprime sa marque par une caméra portée à l’épaule, tout en mouvement. Il se lance ensuite dans la réalisation avec Welikathara (1972), le premier long métrage srilankais en CinemaScope, le deuxième en Asie du sud. En 1979, Nihalsinghe réalise le premier feuilleton télévisé en couleur d’Asie du sud, Dimuthu Muthu. À 29 ans, il devient directeur de la Ceylon Governement Film Unit puis de 1972 à 1978, il est en charge la State Film Corporation.
Nihalsinghe a également enseigné tous les aspects de la production télévisuelle et cinématographique à Sri Lanka et en Malaisie.
Diego Badaturuge Nihalsinghe (known as D. B. Nihalsinghe) was a pioneer of professional color television production in South Asia and Sri Lanka. He is also a respected film and television administrator  and film and television teacher, with students and trainees in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. His career also includes notable work as a cameraman, editor, producer and director in Sri Lankan film and television. His best known work is Welikathara, Sri Lanka’s first feature in Cinemascope. [More on wikipedia]
Filmographie / Filmography
  • 1972 : වැලිකතර / vælikatara ‒ Terres arides ‒ Arid Lands
  • 1987 : මල්දෙනියේ සිමියොන් / maldeniyē simiyon ‒ Simion of Maldeniye
  • 1991 : කෙළිමඬල / keḷiman̆ḍala

මල්දෙනියේ සිමියොන් / maldeniyē simiyon ‒ Simion of Maldeniye • 1987

Simion is a backwoods bootlegger, rustler and gambler in the 1930's. He practically forces a young girl, Jane, to marry him, but he beats her continuously and so she runs away with another man. He goes to prison where the guards beat him, but he remains loyal to Jane.
Scénariste / Scriptwriter : Arawwala Nandimithra, Jayatissa Dillimuni*
Montage / Editor : Nanda Malini
Décor / Artistic Director : Lionel Silva
Musique / Composer : Premasiri Khemadasa, Vijaya Ramanayake, Sunil Ariyaratne
Interprètes / Cast : Joe Abeywickrama, Anoja Weerasinghe, Swarna Mallawarachchi, Ravindra Randeniya
135’ • 35mm • Coul/Col

වැලිකතර / vælikatara ‒ Terres arides ‒ Arid Lands • 1972

This Sri Lankan police action drama tells a story of corruption, incest, unofficial and official murder, rivalry and family loyalty. Randeniya is an aristocrat, but he is also a policeman. He has married a commoner; indeed the members of his wife's family were once his father's servants. When his efforts to suppress a smuggling operation grow too successful, higher-ups threaten to blow the lid on family scandals. Eventually they do, but Randeniya knows things about his family even the crooks don't know; to preserve his family honor he must take the heat for sins that are not his own. Clarke Fountain
Scénariste / Scriptwriter : Tissa Abeysekera
Photo / DOP : K. D. Dayananda
Montage / Editor : D.B. Nihalsinghe
Son / Sound : Mervyn Rodrigo
Musique / Composer : Somadasa Elvitigala, W. D. Amaradeva, Mahagama Sekera
Interprètes / Cast : Gamini Fonseka, Joe Abeywickrema
118’ • 35mm • N&B/B&W