Death on a full Moon Day

Author: Derek Elley - Variety
Issue: Nov 30, 1998

Precision production values and a "scenes from the lives of" approach give "Death of Full Moon Day" a special response that is minimalist without being exasperatingly arty. Centered on an old man's stubborn refusal to profit from his son's death in the Sri Lankan conflict, Prasanna Vithanage's fourth feature is a tony festival item with Euro cable potential.

Veteran actor Joe Abeywickrama plays the blind and bearded Wannihami, whose son Bandara, who fought on the government side against Tamil guerrillas, is buried in his village after stepping on a land mine. In a poignant touch, letters from the dead man still continue to arrive, addressed to his sister, Sunanda (Priyanka Samaraera)

Word arrives that the family, which scrapes a living from brick-making, is due 100,000 rupees in government compensation - money that Sunanda's devious husband reckons would give them a new life and pay for a proper house they've half-built nearby, however, the superstitious Wannihami doggedly refuses to accept it.

Information on the characters and their backgrounds slowly seeps out as the film progresses, building from a blank page into a condensed panorama of life in the region. Vithanage directs at a measured but never needlessly slow pace, making good use of sparing effects on the soundtrack. A final twist adds bite to the story.