- Born
- Died
- Lester James Peries was born on April 5, 1919 in Colombo, Ceylon [now Sri Lanka]. He was a director and writer, known for The Line of Destiny (1956), Silence of the Heart (1969) and Yagunthaya (1985). He was married to Sumitra Peries. He died on April 29, 2018 in Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka.
- SpouseSumitra Peries(June 19, 1964 - April 29, 2018) (his death)
- Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1992
- In 1956, Peries made his entry into national cinema with the globally acclaimed Rekava, which was a story based on village life. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival. With this film he revolutionised Ceylonese cinema, giving it a unique identity. It was the first Ceylonese movie to be shot outdoors.
- Growing up, Peries only spoke English at home and celebrated Christian traditions. His only link to Sinhala culture was his grandmother who always didn't trust Western medicine and spoke proper Sinhalese.
- He attended St Peter's College, one of the Catholic schools in Colombo, as a teenager before dropping out to pursue a career in journalism at the age of 17.
- In 1947, Peries travelled to England on his mother's advice to join his brother Ivan Peries who was there on an art scholarship. Indian editor Frank Moreas suggested writing a column from the country to be published in The Ceylon Times which became "Letter on the Arts from England.".
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