Machan
In Colombo, Sri Lanka, lifelong friends Manoj and Stanley console each other after their latest visa applications are rejected. For barman Manoj, the recurrent denial of his dream to live in the West is taking a serious emotional toll. Stanley, who works on the street selling fruit, is losing his fight against overwhelming debt. When the two friends discover an invitation to a handball tournament in Bavaria, they see it as a chance to pull themselves out of the slums—permanently. Despite the fact that neither of them knows what handball is, their tournament application is accepted and they round up a ragtag collection of friends to form the Sri Lanka National Handball Team. However, playing actual games is the last thing on their minds. After reading about the exploits of the real 2004 Sri Lankan team, which blended into European society upon arrival in Germany, Italian producer Uberto Pasolini (The Full Monty) decided to get behind the camera for the first time to tell their story. With a script that Pasolini co-wrote with Sri Lankan playwright Ruwanthie de Chickera, Machan uses mostly nonprofessional actors from Colombo to provide an authentic feel to this tale of immigration, friendship, and liberation.
Cast & Crew
Director: Uberto Pasolini
Producer: Prasanna Vithanage, Conchita Airoldi, Uberto Pasolini
Editor: Masahiro Hirakubo
Screenwriter: Ruwanthie de Chickera, Uberto Pasolini
Cinematographer: Stefano Falivene
Awards: Venice International Film Festival 2008 (Label Europa Cinemas Award, FEDIC Award)
Music: Stephen Warbeck, Lakshman Joseph De Saram
Principal Cast: Dharmapriya Dias, Gihan de Chickera, Dharshan Dharmaraj, Mahendra Perera
Filmography: Debut Feature Film
World Sales: Beta Cinema
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