The Girls marked Sumitra Peries’s debut as a filmmaker and remains her most celebrated work. The film unfolds through the gentle gaze of Kusum, a reserved schoolgirl whose life is shaped by obedience and restraint. Through Kusum’s eyes, the story of two sisters who dare to love, only to have their dreams stolen by reality, is portrayed. When Kusum develops a tender yet complex connection with her teacher Nimal, a young man from a higher social class, their bond becomes a mirror of unspoken emotions and shifting boundaries. What begins as youthful admiration gradually deepens into a quiet storm, revealing the subtle yet powerful tensions of class, desire, and societal expectation. Soon, Kusum is drawn into a world of emotional ambiguity, where silence sometimes becomes its own language.
Jayashika Padmasiri
Restored print
