No More Tears Sister, Anatomy of Hope and Betrayal
A feature documentary written and directed by Helene Klodawsky
No More Tears Sister, Anatomy of Hope and Betrayal tells the dramatic story of Dr. Rajani Thiranagama, a renowned Sri Lankan Human Rights activist who was gunned down at the age of thirty-five in Jaffna. Fifteen years after her death, Rajani’s sister, a former Tamil Tiger, and husband, a Sinhalese revolutionary, reveal the story of Rajani’s courageous life and brutal assassination.
Producer: The National Film Board of Canada, 2005
Narrator: Michael Ondaatje
Distributors:
This is a deeply moving film on the life and courageous witness of a remarkable person. Her commitment to peace, justice and coexistence is a great inspiration to all involved in the struggle for human rights. The film deserves to be seen by as many as possible to inspire others to take a stand for those rights.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
NO MORE TEARS SISTER is a compelling, heartfelt and balanced documentary about a young human rights defender in civil-war-torn Sri Lanka…. But this is not just a beautiful film about a disturbing past. Rajani’s family, by the simple act of telling her story, have placed themselves at risk from the very people responsible for her death more than fifteen years ago. It is a sobering reminder that the struggle for human rights must be won anew each day.
Jim Ross, senior legal advisor to Human Rights Watch in NYC
Rajani had a vision for her people, the Sri Lankan Tamils. She envisioned a time when they would live in peace and dignity, enjoying democratic rights and freedoms. Standing against oppression and brutality in all its forms, she is a beacon of light for a community living in fear and struggling for self-respect. She will never be forgotten; an icon for everyone in Sri Lanka fighting for freedom.
Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Special Representative of The Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
The film NO MORE TEARS SISTER is a compelling appeal to both sides of the conflict in Sri Lanka to respect the human rights of everyone in the country. A powerful display of the hopes for feminist changes to gender power relations and to violence in the long, tragic war on the island, the film argues that Rajani Thiranagama’s murder in 1989, and her family’s credible advocacy for the human rights and dignity of Tamils, Sinhalese, and Muslims in Sri Lanka is in fact a universal appeal for a better world. This is a film, and a message, which are vital for human rights’ advocacy.
Alex Neve, Secretary General, Amnesty International – Canada
Awards:
Premiered PBS Television POV documentary season, 2006
Chris Awards, Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film Festival, USA, 2005
Second Prize, Tri Continental Film Festival, India, 2006
Spirit of Freedom Award Best Documentary, Jerusalem International Film Festival, 2006
Nomination, Best Political Documentary, Academy of Canadian Cinema, 2006
Best Cinematography, Gemini Awards, Academy of Canadian Cinema, 2006
Cine Eagle Award, USA, 2006
One of Ten Audience Pics at Hot Docs International Documentary Festival, 2005
Broadcasters to date: Opening 2006 season of P.O.V.- PBS, The Documentary
Channel, Australian TV (SBS), Finnish Public Television, CBC Newsworld, Knowledge Network
Press:
Festivals:
Hot Docs, Seattle International Film Festival, New York
Human Rights Watch Film Festival
FILMI South Asian Toronto Film Festival
San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival
Hamptons International Film Festival
Vermont International Film Festival
Human Rights Watch Traveling Film Festival (screenings in approximately 40 North American cities)
Dochouse and Docspace (an alternative film circuit of 14 UK art houses)
Calgary Film Festival
Vancouver Amnesty International Film Festival
Global Visions Film Festival
Tri-Continental Film Festival (South Africa)
Barcelona Human Rights Film Festival
Tri Continental Film Festival (India: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata)
Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal
London Human Rights Watch Film Festival
Amnesty International Film Festival, Amsterdam
St. John’s Amnesty Film Festival, 2006
Tongues on Fire Film Festival, London
South Asian Film Festival, Nepal, 2007
Ulster Incore Conflict Documentary Film Festival
Global Justice Film Festival, British Columbia
Dallas South Asian Film Festival
Marda Loop Justice Film Festival (Alberta)
New Jersey International Film Festival
Katmandu Film Festival, Nepal
Insular International Film Festival in Brittany, France 2009
Open Frame International Festival in Delhi, India 2009
Films Without Borders, Rome, 2010
The film has been shown at human rights conferences, universities and museums in Australia, Europe, Canada, USA, and Asia