This summer, I attended the premiere of the film “Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts” at the Roxy Cinema in Tribeca, written and directed by indie filmmaker and Fieldston film teacher Shaun Seneviratne. The film follows Ben Santhanaraj and Suzanne Hopper, a longtime couple reuniting in Sri Lanka. There, Suzanne has taken a demanding job- causing tension in their relationship and threatening to ruin their perfect reunion. The film stars Sathya Sridharan and Anastasia Olowin as the titular couple and takes the audience on an at-times hilarious, at-times heartbreaking, whirlwind journey through a beautiful country often forgotten in Western filmmaking.
Seneviratne, a Sri Lankan-American, was determined to represent the country honestly and endearingly through the film. Ben and Suzanne’s trials and tribulations are all inexorably tied to their setting, therefore bringing Sri Lanka into the film at every turn. By the film’s denouement, it feels like you yourself have just been on a whirlwind trip through Sri Lanka and the country almost becomes its own character entirely. Between the taxi driver whom the protagonists spend much of their trip with, the clients Suzanne interacts with, and random civilians, shopkeepers, and hotel employees, the central couple meet, Sri Lankan natives take up much of the film. Seneviratne even hired much of his crew locally, affording jobs to creatives and employees of the Sri Lankan film industry.
“Ben and Suzanne,” a romantic comedy-drama made on a shoestring budget, is an intimate, personal delight imbued with passion, color and relatability. Seneviratne directs with patience and tenderness, allowing his characters to come to life in a natural, documentary-like fashion while still delivering every rom-com cliché we expect. The film premiered last year at the prestigious South By Southwest film festival, where it debuted to rave reviews, earning a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is now finally being made available for public enjoyment. The filmmakers and distributors opted for an indie release strategy, premiering the film in small theaters to audiences of captivated cinephiles- including the one I had the pleasure of sitting in.
The event on July 19 was completely sold out, giving me the opportunity to experience the film with a full, engaged audience, who –judging by the frequent explosions of laughter and effusive praise heard as they left the theater– absolutely adored the film. Amongst the audience were many of Seneviratne’s current and former film students, myself included, there to support our teacher.
After the screening, the audience was treated to a Q&A with Seneviratne, Olowin and Sridharan, in which many audience members asked the filmmaker and stars in-depth questions. Topics spanned the film’s production, thematic messaging and impressive rom-com setpieces and gags, including one involving a giant bar of Toblerone…the film must be seen for this to be understood. After the Q&A came to a close, the filmmaker stayed outside for discussions with audience members and friends, making the already extremely personal film feel all the more intimate.
Overall, the night was an incredibly special celebration of the importance and magic of indie filmmaking and a celebration of the accomplishments of one determined filmmaker and his collaborators. “Ben and Suzanne” is one of the best films of the year, and I highly recommend that any readers see it if given the chance as this night was one of the highlights of my summer.
