News and Events

Documentary on the Burghers

Alexa Schulz, a director and writer for film and television from Germany, was recently in Colombo meeting up with members of the Burgher community. Alexa is planning to make a documentary film on the Burghers of Sri Lanka and this preliminary visit was to research and map out her project, after which, if she is successful in obtaining the necessary funding, she will return to Sri Lanka with a team to produce the documentary.

Explaining her motive for her choice of topic dates back ten years, which was when she read and fell in love with the book, “Running in the Family” by Michael Ondaatje. Her fascination with Running in the Family was so compelling that shortly after, she “dragged” her newly wedded husband on a visit to Sri Lanka. This visit, and with Ondaatje becoming one of her favourite authors with subsequent offerings such as Anil’s Ghost, has kept Sri Lanka within the peripheries of her mind. In her heart she knew that some day she would produce a documentary specific to Sri Lanka.

Well, that ‘some day’ finally arrived for Alexa and over her five week-stay, she was a frequent visitor to the DBU and the Burgher Association as well as to homes of members of both organisations. Describing her visit, Alexa was filled with gratitude for the warmth and hospitality that she received from everyone that she met, many of whom she now counts as friends.

On the question of her objectives being met, Alexa was more than satisfied that there is sufficient material for her documentary and is excitedly looking forward to getting the project off the ground.

David Colin-Thomé