Editing Sri Lanka (section)

=== Visual, literary and performing arts ===
{{Main|Cinema of Sri Lanka|Music of Sri Lanka|Dances of Sri Lanka|Theatre of Sri Lanka|Sri Lankan literature}}
[[File:Two Women in Traditional Kandyan Dress Laugh While Waiting as Secretary Kerry Meets With Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Samaraweera (16720359423).jpg|thumb|Female dancers in traditional [[Kandyan dance|Kandyan dress]]]]
[[File:The landmark Nelum Pokuna (Lotus Pond) Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre.JPG|thumb|The [[Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre]] was constructed as a major venue for the performing arts.]]

The movie ''[[Kadawunu Poronduwa]]'' (''The Broken Promise''), produced by [[S. M. Nayagam]] of Chitra Kala Movietone, heralded the coming of Sri Lankan cinema in 1947. ''[[Ranmuthu Duwa]]'' (''Island of Treasures'') marked the transition of cinema from [[black-and-white]] to colour. In recent years, movies have featured subjects such as family melodrama, social transformation and the years of conflict between the military and the LTTE.<ref name="easiancinem">{{Cite book |author=Dissanayake, Wimal |year=2006 |title=Contemporary Asian cinema: popular culture in a global frame, Chapter 8 |publisher=Berg |pages=108–119 |isbn=978-1-84520-237-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9_PmysZli1cC}}</ref> The Sri Lankan cinematic style is similar to [[Bollywood]] movies. In 1979, movie attendance rose to an all-time high but has been in a steady decline since then.<ref name="denandind">{{Cite book |author=Lakshman, W. D. |year=2000 |title=Sri Lanka's development since independence |publisher=[[Nova Publishers]] | page=253 |place=[[New York City|New York]] | isbn=978-1-56072-784-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MLqmdDp3l0oC}}</ref>

An influential filmmaker is [[Lester James Peiris]], who has directed a number of movies which led to global acclaim, including ''[[Rekava]]'' (''Line of Destiny'', 1956), ''[[Gamperaliya (film)|Gamperaliya]]'' (''The Changing Village'', 1964), ''[[Nidhanaya]]'' (''The Treasure'', 1970) and ''[[Golu Hadawatha]]'' (''Cold Heart'', 1968).<ref name="lstjms">{{cite news |title=Dr. Lester James Peiris, Father of Sri Lankan Cinema, celebrates 90th Birthday |newspaper=[[Asian Tribune]] | url=http://asiantribune.com/?q=node/16540 |access-date=21 January 2021 |archive-date=9 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309042437/http://asiantribune.com/?q=node%2F16540 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Sri Lankan-Canadian poet [[Rienzi Crusz]], is the subject of a documentary on his life in Sri Lanka. His work is published in Sinhala and English. Naturalised Canadian [[Michael Ondaatje]] is well known for his English-language novels and three films.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

The earliest music in Sri Lanka came from theatrical performances such as ''Kolam'', ''Sokari'' and ''Nadagam''.<ref name="cambrmu">{{Cite book |author=Brandon, James R. |year=1997 |title=The Cambridge guide to Asian theatre |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] | pages=226–229 |place=[[Cambridge]] | isbn=978-0-521-58822-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ttnH5W9qoBAC}}</ref> Traditional music instruments such as ''Béra'', ''Thammátama'', ''Daŭla'' and ''Răbān'' were performed at these dramas. The first music album, ''Nurthi'', recorded in 1903, was released through Radio Ceylon. Songwriters like [[Mahagama Sekara]] and [[Ananda Samarakoon]] and musicians such as [[W. D. Amaradeva]], [[Victor Ratnayake]], [[Nanda Malini]] and [[Clarence Wijewardene]] have contributed much towards the progression of Sri Lankan music.<ref name="wmrhg">{{Cite book |author=McConnachie, James |year=2000 |title=World music: the rough guide, Volume 2 |publisher=Rough Guides |page=230 |isbn=978-1-85828-636-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QzX8THIgRjUC}}</ref> [[Baila music]] originated among [[Sri Lanka Kaffirs|Kaffirs]] or the Afro-Sinhalese community.<ref name="lnlypnlu">{{Cite book |author=Atkinson, Brett |year=2009 |title=Lonely Planet Sri Lanka |publisher=[[Lonely Planet]] | page=50 |isbn=978-1-74104-835-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6QAgHA69_rwC}}</ref>

[[File:Sri Lanka traditional drum.jpg|thumb|A Low Country drummer playing the traditional ''Yak Béra'']]
There are three main styles of Sri Lankan classical dance. They are, the [[Kandyan dance]]s, low country dances and [[Sabaragamuwa]] dances. Of these, the Kandyan style is most prominent. It is a sophisticated form of dance<ref name="dncen2">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Kandyan dance |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] | url=https://www.britannica.com/art/Kandyan-dance}}</ref> that consists of five sub-categories: ''Ves dance'', ''Naiyandi dance'', ''Udekki dance'', ''Pantheru dance'' and ''18 Vannam''.<ref name="sldance">{{Cite book |author=Cummings, Joe |year=2006 |title=Sri Lanka |publisher=[[Lonely Planet]] | pages=50–52 |isbn=978-1-74059-975-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pq9XaJuzwkQC}}</ref> An elaborate headdress is worn by the male dancers, and a drum called ''Geta Béraya'' is used to assist the dancers to keep on rhythm.<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web |title=Dance of Sri Lanka |publisher=lakpura.com |url=https://us.lakpura.com/pages/dance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714003824/http://www.lanka.com/sri-lanka/dance-and-drama-of-sri-lanka-104.html |archive-date=14 July 2014 |date=28 July 2014}}</ref>

The history of Sri Lankan painting and sculpture can be traced as far back as to the 2nd or 3rd century BCE.<ref name="lklibrform">{{cite web |title=History of painting and sculpture in Sri Lanka |publisher=lankalibrary.com |url=http://lankalibrary.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3128 |access-date=20 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084513/http://lankalibrary.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3128 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The earliest mention about the art of painting on Mahāvaṃsa, is to the drawing of a palace on cloth using [[cinnabar]] in the 2nd century BCE. The chronicles have a description of various paintings in relic chambers of Buddhist stupas and in monastic residences.

Theatre came to the country when a [[Parsi theatre]] company from [[Mumbai]] introduced ''Nurti'', a blend of European and Indian theatrical conventions to the Colombo audience in the 19th century.<ref name="sldance" /> The golden age of Sri Lankan drama and theatre began with the staging of ''Maname'', a play written by [[Ediriweera Sarachchandra]] in 1956.<ref name="theatresl">{{cite web |title=The Sinhala Theatre of Sri Lanka: A Form of Political Discourse |publisher=artsrilanka.org |url=http://www.artsrilanka.org/essays/theatre/index.html |access-date=15 September 2011 |archive-date=14 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114210156/http://www.artsrilanka.org/essays/theatre/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was followed by a series of popular dramas like ''Sinhabāhu'', ''Pabāvatī'', ''Mahāsāra'', ''Muudu Puththu'' and ''Subha saha Yasa''.

Sri Lankan literature spans at least two millennia and is heir to the [[Aryan race|Aryan]] literary tradition as embodied in the hymns of the [[Rigveda]].<ref name="lklinbr" /> The [[Pāli Canon]], the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, was written down in Sri Lanka during the [[Fourth Buddhist council]], at the Alulena cave temple, [[Kegalle]], as early as 29 BCE.<ref name="alulena">{{cite web |title=Challenge to Buddha Jayanthi Stamp Selection Board |work=The Island |url=http://www.island.lk/2006/05/31/opinion6.html |access-date=15 September 2011 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115010/http://www.island.lk/2006/05/31/opinion6.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Chronicles such as the ''[[Mahāvaṃsa]]'', written in the 6th century, provide vivid descriptions of Sri Lankan dynasties. According to the German philosopher [[Wilhelm Geiger]], the chronicles are based on Sinhala [[Atthakatha]] (commentary).<ref name="lklinbr" /> The oldest surviving prose work is the ''Dhampiya-Atuva-Getapadaya'', compiled in the 9th century CE.<ref name="lklinbr" /> The greatest literary feats of medieval Sri Lanka include ''Sandesha Kāvya'' (poetic messages) such as ''Girā Sandeshaya'' (parrot message), ''Hansa Sandeshaya'' (swan message) and ''Salalihini Sandeshaya'' (myna message). Poetry including ''Kavsilumina'', ''Kavya-Sekharaya'' (''Diadem of Poetry'') and proses such as ''Saddharma-Ratnāvaliya'', ''Amāvatura'' (''Flood of Nectar'') and ''Pujāvaliya'' are also notable works of this period, which is considered to be the golden age of Sri Lankan literature.<ref name="lklinbr">{{cite web |title=A survey of Sinhalese poetry from ancient times to the modern period |publisher=lankalibrary.com |url=http://www.lankalibrary.com/books/sinhala8.htm |access-date=15 September 2011 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114355/http://www.lankalibrary.com/books/sinhala8.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first modern-day novel, ''Meena'' by Simon de Silva appeared in 1905<ref name="sldance" /> and was followed by several revolutionary literary works. [[Martin Wickramasinghe]], the author of ''[[Madol Doova]]'' is considered the iconic figure of Sri Lankan literature.<ref name="martinw">{{cite web |title=Martin Wickramasinghe: An icon of world intellectual heritage |work=The Daily News |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2010/07/23/fea01.asp}}</ref>