The Hidden Roar : Legend of Eelam
The aim of this proposal is to produce a fully realised section of a longer metaphorical narrative film which is about the friendship between a Boy and a Tiger. I would like to develop an original stylised 2D animation film with the use of painterly brush strokes essentially to form an abstract film. This technique is fairly new to me and definitely a challenge that I am looking forward to explore.
This film is about a little boy finding friendship with a strange Tiger spirit he found inside the ocean. The narrative is based on a tiger that saves a kid when he falls into the ocean from being overrun by a swarm of flying fishes. The mysterious tiger takes the kid around the deeper ocean where visuals of older Tamil generations are shown through culture and history (Kumarikandam). This adventure becomes very exciting by pace and the tiger eventually takes the kid back to the wooden row boat. Unfortunately the film does not end happily as the tiger gets swallowed by a deep spiral within the ocean and that left the boy clueless and hopeless.
That said, the film is about being hopeless. Being a Tamil is hopeless. Our history is being removed systemically. Tamils fought for their land and peace, but racism still exists but may not be not as visible to everyone. Sri Lankan Tamils have become an ethnic minority in their land and over time Tamils have been killed through genocide to make Sri Lanka a ‘Sinhalese-Only’ country. We as Tamils find it difficult to identify ourselves as Sri Lankans due to the government actions of genocide towards Tamils. So what are we?, what is our culture like?, what is our history?, why are our people (natives) being killed in their own motherland?
The above questions are what the little boy discovers through the short narrative. The film has many metaphorical elements eg; ‘Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’ being the strange tiger that becomes an odd friend for the kid. Many hidden aspects like the lost land of Tamils ‘Kumarikandam’ will be referred to for cultural and historical reference.
For the minor project, I will be animating the first half of the film where the boy is rescued by the tiger and taken to the lost city. The entire film will be produced in 2D and will have a stylised abstract unique form with dramatic Tamil culture themed soundtrack.
haranworks 