Charmini Peli Kankanamalage

French master student: According to Julien Laurien, spokesperson for Cannes, the film is one of roughly 2,300 short films whittled down from 4,200 submissions for this category, according to Hamilton Spectator. The famous festival begins May 13. The emotional 15-minute docudrama, written and directed by 32-year-old French master student Charmini Peli Kankanamalage, plays as a message to the unborn son of a Sri Lankan mother struggling to dissect her thoughts after leaving her war-torn country. "I did not want my thesis on a shelf in a library," said Peli Kankanamalage, who hopes the film will reach people who can relate to her story. "I would rather it be on You Tube, where everyone can see it." Though the film, M'al d'archive, won't be up for an award, it will feature in the Cannes Short Film Corner, a place for up-and-coming filmmakers to debut in front of a live audience and make industry contacts. Joelle Papillon, an assistant professor and adviser to Peli Kankanamalage, said the French master students who focus on literature of exile, immigration and identity outside of France, are encouraged to use a level of creativity, though Peli Kankanamalage approach "is highly unusual." When Peli Kankanamalage explained her budding passion for cinema, Papillon said the department was excited to give her the opportunity, so long as she submitted a written thesis as well. "It was zero budget," she said. The film is her first and is based on her own experiences as she struggled with feelings of guilt and identity after leaving Sri Lanka to study in Canada. "I felt I did not have a right to talk about war" as she and her immediate family were fortunate enough to survive unscathed. Using only her husband camera, a smartphone for sound, and a friend editing software, Peli Kankanamalage said her toughest challenge was finding the resources and time to finish her film in the few months she was given. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.