The East is Calling

Produced in 2005, this 13 episode  drama series captures the grief and agony of people, as they come to terms with their ordeal following the Tsunami of 2004. It explores the complex personal relationships that develop amongst the people; the human spirit prevails as they are united by the common experience of grief, displacement and loss. But how long before it slowly turns into an atmosphere of mistrust, suspicion and hostility? Could something positive possibly spring from this disaster?

The East is calling was developed through a process of multi ethnic, religious and cultural consultations, with the participation of  communities and individuals with first hand experience of the conflict and tsunami, to develop a television drama series that truly reflected the post-tsunami reality in an area torn apart by unresolved conflict and  disputes - the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. The drama series is an attempt at reminding Sri Lankans of the challenges faced by a multi-ethnic society in rising above their divides and moving towards dialogue, sharing and a mutually beneficial and lasting peace.

The East is Calling was directed by Asoka Handagama and was funded by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) Sri Lanka Peace Support Project under a grant from USAID (United States Agency for International Development).