The screenings will be preceded by a pre-recorded introduction by guest curator Anupma Shanker.

The groundbreaking debut film of Sumitra Peries – known as the Poetess of Sri Lankan Cinema and the country’s first female director –is a lyrical exploration of feminine sensibility and offers a tender and transporting journey through young dreams & first loves.

Kusum, a poor but studious village girl who cleans the house of a wealthy family, sparks a connection with Nimal, the family’s prized son. Soma, Kusum’s younger sister, pursues beauty pageants and dreams of acting, believing it’s her best chance of a better life. What unfolds is a poignant coming-of-age story set in rural Sri Lanka that truly articulates the tacit struggles of adolescent love being stifled by traditional societal norms from a uniquely feminine perspective.

Peries draws out natural, affecting performances from her cast, particularly Vasanthi Chathurani, who was still at school when she played Kusum – the role that launched a long screen career.

The Girls was crowned the Outstanding Film of the Year at the 1978 London Film Festival. Beautifully digitally restored, it feels just as fresh, illuminating and moving today.

Anupma Shanker is a British-Indian film curator and archives researcher with a deep and evolving interest in marginalised and minority screen narratives from, of and about the past. Her curatorial practice is focused on bringing to light films and filmmakers that remain overlooked, inaccessible and undiscovered but can offer valuable insight, wisdom and guidance in contextualizing the difficult but urgent discourses about the myths and realities of shared/contested histories, heritage, identities and memories. Website