We are thrilled to present the first solo show of films by Rajee Samarasinghe in Los Angeles. Between the spaces and places of Sri Lanka and Los Angeles, Samarasinghe’s body of films stunningly unfold the liminal space between the mystery of filmmaking and the magic of being while at the same time, in his words, “often navigate the terrain of memory, migration, and impermanence.” Join us after the films for a conversation between Samarasinghe and fellow filmmaker Mike Stoltz. The screening will be followed by a reception on the outdoor patio with Sri Lankan snacks and Tarot card readings by Delini Malka Samarasinghe, who appears in the films and, is the filmmaker’s sister.
Rajee Samarasinghe was born and raised amidst the decades-long civil war in Sri Lanka. He later left for the United States where he is now based. He received his BFA from the University of California San Diego and his MFA from the California Institute of the Arts. Much of his work examines sociopolitical conditions in Sri Lanka through the scope of deconstructing ethnographic practices and the colonial gaze in contemporary media.
Rajee Samarasighe was listed as 25 New Faces of Independent Filmmaking by Filmmaker Magazine in 2020.
