Three stories slide effortlessly over one another, like sheets of glass lubricated by a melancholy score, in this intense film by one of Sri Lanka’s leading directors.The narratives are all set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war, with the threat of violence, which might erupt at any moment. This powerfully conflicts with the controlled underplaying of the principal protagonists. Arfath, a Moslem boy, and his parents are forced to leave their home following persecution by the army – as a refugee, he must leave his beloved dog behind for a perilous boat journey. Chamari is searching for her husband, a missing Sinhalese pilot. She believes he has been taken prisoner and enlists the help of a UK-based journalist who helps her travel from Colombo to a Tiger camp in Tamil Ellam. Dumida is a handsome yet lonely young soldier, who seeks solace at a brothel, only to encounter his own sister. She runs away and he sets out to track her down. August Sun presents a clearly Sinhalese perspective on the war, but sensitively explores the subtleties of the longing, loss and resignation to suffering brought about by what has become a lengthy and arguably fruitless conflict.

Cary Rajinder Sawhney