In Plain Sight by filmmaker and photographer Ruvin de Silva is an exposé of Sri Lanka’s strategic disappearances and mass graves. Featuring seven different locations, several of which are in population-dense areas now undergoing development, the film examines urbanisation’s ruthless encroachment on and attempts to altogether erase collective memory. Through oral histories of affected families, activists, and researchers, the film explores the history that led to the endemic problem of unmarked, unprotected graves within local communities and interrogates its influence on the country’s future. 

State in Silence addresses the foundational issues which laid the groundwork for those raised in In Plain Sight including institutionalised violence, justice systems, and the nation-state. Fashioned as a follow-up to In Plain Sight, State in Silence uses a similar methodology of firsthand accounts through interviews to gain perspective on accountability and human rights in the country. Together, the pair presents a rounded view of Sri Lanka’s symbiotic relationship between state-sanctioned terror and the culture of impunity that bolsters it.

More info about the screening here.