By
Dilrukshi Handunnetti
Veteran film actor Ravindra Randeniya refers to him as the ‘master of movie set-making’, an apt title for Errol Kelly, Sri Lanka’s quintessential art director and production designer, who, despite his international repute and an incomparable contribution to the world of cinema, remains the epitome of humility.
For Errol Kelly, it had been one wonderful cinematic journey, a path strewn with difficulties but successes only a few could achieve in actual life. “I was lured by this art at the tender age of 17 years,” says Kelly with a smile.
As a student of St. Sylvester’s College, Katugastota, Kelly accidentally took upon himself the task of assisting his uncle, celebrated movie cameraman, Willy Blake, while shooting Elephant Bay, in 1971.
“I instantly fell in love with the film industry and there was no looking back,” he says.
In 1972, Kelly joined Dr. Lester James Peries, to assist him in the filming of the movie, God King. He created movie sets for the first time, for Peries’ movie, Kaliyugaya. Next he began working with the industry’s pioneering spirits including Tissa Abeysekera, Gamini Fonseka and Sunil Ariyaratne, a craft he loved to learn.
“I worked with the best and learned from the best. They all generously imparted knowledge. I was the sponge, ready to absorb.”
Kelly acknowledges Dharmasena Hemapala as his industry guru, whose keen eye, he feels, could never be replaced. In the 1970s and 1980s, several Italian movies were filmed in Sri Lanka, followed by German productions, and Kelly’s expert eye on location identification, in addition to creating excellent backdrops, proved extremely useful.
He says, “I never had technical training. We had no cinema schools to graduate from and had ‘on the job training’ only.”
With his first Hollywood break, Kelly’s creative platform was raised to absolute international heights and Director Steven Spielberg relied heavily on Kelly when making, Indiana Jones.
Hollywood break
This was followed by a string of other successful international movies including Mother Teresa, Jungle Book II and Robot Warriors. “I was completely hooked by the kind of amazing assignments I kept getting. It was a great time to be dabbling in movie-making. There was so much creative energy and inspirational people to work with,” he adds.
Besides exciting opportunities that demanded excellence and immense creative depths, Kelly says he has had his fair share of challenges. He had to create a 65-foot tall robot atop a hill for the film, Robot Warriors which proved a Herculean task. The budget was inadequate for what he designed, so he tied cables to create propellers and had a truck pulling at the cables to make the mega robot function. The robot also had to be positioned on a precarious hill, all of which, instead of daunting Kelly, only spurred him on to achieve his target.
For The Amden’s Men, a film premiered in Germany recently, Kelly designed and constructed the entire interior of a ship – inside a tiny studio. To create the rocking effect of a ship, he ingeniously used a rocking chair inside the studio-appointed ship and used water pipes to create the water gushing effect as the ship had to be eventually sunk!
The biggest challenge however, was when Deepa Mehta required Kelly to create backdrops and sets depicting three countries for her film, Midnight’s Children. Kelly, always up to the task, ended up creating India, Pakistan and Bangladesh – all within Colombo.
“I visited the specific locations described in the script and came back with a clear idea as to how a select number of locations in Colombo could be converted into three different countries, which is exactly what we did. The film, barring a few establishing shots taken in Kashmir and Mumbai, was entirely filmed in Colombo.”
Kelly received many accolades when he created Ghats that resembled the famous Ghats of Varanasi for Deepa Mehta’s controversial film, Water. To begin his work, he visited Varanasi and studied the Ghats, making copious amounts of sketches to bring back home. “Then I told Mehta, it is not possible to recreate the Varanasi Ghats which are unique. But Ghats can be constructed here, so Beira Lake provided me the backdrop.”
Varanasi Ghats in Colombo
An experience he cherished was when he art-directed for Mother Teresa. Kelly skillfully converted a Colombo slum area to resemble Calcutta some 100 years ago, gave the area a stained look, provided the locals with period costumes and used a theme of pale colours.
“For an art director, understanding colour, tone and depth are very important. I begin everything by visualizing the director’s words and the script. You can say that I live in my imaginary world as I begin to visualize movie concept or a script. It is slightly obsessive,” he smiles.
“For Water, I used serene and pale colours for that were the tone of that movie – somber and serious. For Midnight’s Children, I used bold colours. India, besides the sets and backdrops, were depicted through a riot of colour, Pakistan through greens and royal tones and Bangladesh with a combination. That’s one part I truly enjoy about movie-making. Backdrops gain depth when costumes complement them,” declares Kelly.
Before undertaking a project, Kelly would read the script and then meet the director for an extensive discussion. Then he would list out possible locations (with a gallery of images stored on his laptop at all times) and next, travel on ‘location-hunting missions’ with his team, comprising a photographer, construction manager, carpenter, painter and a draftsman.
“For me, the sets I create are a labour of love. For a man who assisted in films for a mere Rs 15 some 40 years ago without ever grumbling about wages and long hours, I still consider each opportunity to do something new and creative as a gift from God.”
Location hunting
Loving each film he undertakes, Kelly is clear about “giving his best” to everything he does, from selecting locations to designing sets. Though having a long list of impressive films to his artistic credit, from Deepa Mehta’s Water to Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones, from Temple of Doom to Jungle Book II, from Mother Teresa to Indochine and then to the latest – Midnight’s Children, Kelly’s formula for success is three-fold – ‘loving his product,’ ‘doing his best’ and ‘striving to achieve the highest industry standards.’ “For me, it is no difference whether it is an international blockbuster, local film or a TV series. I bring the same passion and enthusiasm.”
The zeal and creativity he brings in is such that his work was nominated for the 2006 GENIE Prix Awards, the Canadian equivalent to the Oscars, and several movies he has made creative contributions to, have been Oscar-nominated films.
Keen to leave behind a tangible ‘movie’ heritage and eager to pass on his knowledge and expertise to the next generation, Kelly recently designed and constructed The Mahinda Rajapaksa National Tele-cinema Park in Ranmihithenna, Tissamaharama, in a sprawling 235-acre land. The first of its kind, this includes a modern studio and sets depicting hospitals, police stations, courts and various backdrops that can be used in multiple ways.
Taking pride in his craft and training his juniors with dedication, many offers of honorary citizenship have come his way. But for a man of amazing creativity, Kelly’s heart lies right here, in Sri Lanka. “I am happy to be Sri Lankan. I wish to live and die in Sri Lanka.”
As production designer
Machan
Dheevari: Fisherman’s Daughter
Mother Teresa: In the Name of God’s Poor
The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli and Baloo
Robot Warriors
Poronduwa
Fifty/Fifty
Ghosts Can’t Do It
The Iron Triangle
The Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck
As art director
The Sleeping Dictionary
The Intended
Der Kapitän
D’or et de safran (TV)
Il figlio di Sandokan
Les mystères de Sadjurah (TV)
Beyond Rangoon
Le livre de cristal
Shadow of the Cobra (TV)
A Dangerous Life (TV mini-series)
Der Stein des Todes
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
As special category cinematographer
Water – design consultant
Spies Inc. – Art Director: Sri Lanka
Indochine – Set Decorator: Malaysia
Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy
(TV mini-series) – Art Director: Sri Lanka
Tarzan, the Ape Man – Head of costume and wardrobe department
As set decorator
La Porte du Ciel (TV)
COURTESY:CEYLON TODAY