MMCA Sri Lanka Commissioned Documentary Wins Satyajit Ray Bronze Award at South Asian Short Film Festival

The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA Sri Lanka) is proud to announce that No More Land (2024), a documentary film by Anomaa Rajakaruna (b.1965), commissioned for its exhibition Total Landscaping, has won the Satyajit Ray Bronze Award (Documentary) at the 8th South Asian Short Film Festival (SASFF) in Kolkata, India.

Commissioned by the MMCA Sri Lanka as part of ‘Arts 4 ADR’, which is a collaborative project in partnership with the Supporting Effective Dispute Resolution (SEDR) project, No More Land (2024) addresses the enduring issues of agricultural land disputes and the displacement of Adivasi communities in Sri Lanka. The film is set against the backdrop of the Gal Oya Project, the country’s first major post-independence resettlement and agricultural development scheme, which saw the construction of the Senanayake Samudraya reservoir and the creation of the Gal Oya National Park. While envisioned as a landmark of progress, the project led to widespread displacement, dispossession, and heightened ethnic tensions.

What distinguishes No More Land (2024) is its use of women’s voices to tell this story. Rather than relying on conventional documentary formats, Rajakaruna foregrounds the testimonies of eleven women of different ethnic backgrounds living in Ampara, the region most affected by the project. Their oral histories, layered over sweeping visuals of the land, create a haunting and poetic narrative that captures the complexity of displacement and memory.

Sharmini Pereira, Chief Curator of the MMCA Sri Lanka, commented, “This award is a milestone for both Anomaa and the museum. It highlights the importance of commissioning contemporary works that grapple with Sri Lanka’s complex histories and ongoing realities. The fact that the film has found likeness across borders speaks volumes about these experiences and the power of art to create dialogue and understanding. At the MMCA Sri Lanka, one of our key aims is to support artists in producing new work. Anomaa’s ability to bring women’s voices to the forefront in telling this story is both courageous and necessary, and we are proud to have supported her in realising this work.”

Orlando Edwards, Country Director, British Council Sri Lanka, speaking on the win added, “We are incredibly proud to see No More Land receive this well-deserved recognition. Through the Arts-4-ADR initiative, which was part of the SEDR project, we have seen how powerful storytelling and the arts can be in fostering reflection, dialogue, and social change. Congratulations to Anomaa Rajakaruna, a longstanding partner of British Council Sri Lanka, and the excellent team at the MMCA Sri Lanka on this achievement, and for bringing to light the complex realities that shape our communities. SEDR is a European Union-funded project, delivered by the British Council in partnership with the Asia Foundation.”

The recognition of No More Land at the SASFF underscores the MMCA Sri Lanka’s commitment to nurturing contemporary artistic practice and providing space for works that address urgent social and historical issues. Established in 2019 as the country’s first dedicated museum for modern and contemporary art, the MMCA Sri Lanka has made it its mission to commission and present new work that challenges audiences to think critically about the past and present.