Binghamton University hosted the world premiere of the award-winning film “Comes the Wind,” an emotional story centered on themes of familial bonds, love, loss and hope, this Tuesday in the Watters Theater.

Written and directed by Sudath Devapriya and produced by and starring Lakshmi Damayanthi Bulathsinghala, an adjunct assistant professor of theatre, “Comes the Wind” follows the story of Lily, a mother who, after awakening from a coma, goes on a journey to find her child after realizing she was given up for adoption by her late husband, Henry, during her absence.

Set in the quaint seaside town of Galle, located on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, the film opens with a close-up shot of Lily getting out of bed and walking over to sit at her desk, which arguably acts as the centerpiece for the film’s narrative. The desk itself is quite simple, as atop it sits only a singular lamp, along with a small stack of books and her medicine, which she takes daily.

Each time the audience reenters this space of Lily’s, the camera work tends to produce a lingering effect, reflecting the uncertainty and tension surrounding the character’s inner thoughts. And as the film progresses, the narrative unravels at the desk. It is where the audience learns Lily is a writer and has published a book titled, “An Undefeated Life” — a novel which touched so many readers to the point where she receives fan mail. It is one letter in particular that catches her attention, as it mentions how they know Lily has been looking for her daughter and most importantly, that she is alive.

Bulathsinghala described the background of the characters.

“So especially given that [the] majority of Sri Lanka, the people are Buddhists, but the characters in this film are Christians, and also Lily is a Burgher woman,” Bulathsinghala said. “And you know, Burghers were introduced to Sri Lanka as part of the colonization in the past. It’s a mixed race from colonized people plus Sri Lankan.”

Beyond this sanctuary of Lily’s, we gain further insight into her as a character through her attachment to her home, which she shares with Sam, her brother-in-law, and his soon-to-be ex-wife. The home, which is only ever depicted in moody lighting, relates to the somber tone of the film and Lily’s unshakable grief that seems to envelop her.

We are also shown two spaces outside the confinement of Lily’s home — her ballet studio, where her assistant Vishwa helps teach a class of young girls, and the doctor’s office where Lily first meets Surath, a character who gradually becomes a prominent presence in her life.

Devapriya mentioned how the film’s foundation lies in the development of its characters and their interactions with one another, as well as their own internal struggles.

“As I said before, we are talking about several characters who are isolated in a certain vacuum,” Devapriya wrote in an email. “We often see those characters in silence. Although there is no real conflict on the surface of the film, there are strong conflicts in the souls associated with the characters.”

Initially, we are introduced to Surath as a fan of Lily’s novel, as he attempts to make conversation with her in the waiting room. After her unwillingness to engage with him, Surath follows her down a cobblestone path, with an air of hesitancy, until she finally stops and softly, yet firmly, confronts him — without actually facing him and opting to continue to look straight ahead. It is here that Surath asks the question — “why did you write ‘An Undefeated Life?’” Lily’s response was to walk away — signaling the space that silence occupies at this moment.

Between these interactions, we also witness Lily attempting to latch onto some thread of finding her child, whether it is through talking to a welfare officer or the lawyer who helped her late husband through the process of giving up their child for adoption. The only trace of her child she has left is a photo album, which she holds deeply close to her.

Later on, Surath comes to Lily’s dance studio and it is revealed that he has a daughter named Ruwini, who already has formed a sweet relationship with Lily, as she lovingly calls her “dancing teacher.”

Through a muted color palette of reds, oranges and yellows, coupled with a few intimate scenes near the Dutch fort, Lily and Surath continue to grow closer in their friendship. Surath shares that Ruwini was adopted and Lily finally answers Surath’s question — admitting she herself does not have an answer and truly believes that the book wrote itself. Tragically, it is also discovered that Lily is projected to undergo chemotherapy.

Gayani Bulathsinghala ‘14, MA ‘22 and the costume designer for “Comes the Wind,” described how designing the clothes contributed to building a specific narrative for each character.

“We weren’t really focusing on the characters wearing traditional outfits in the movie, but focusing on what this character would wear as their everyday outfit, which is what you do in costume design,” Bulathsinghala wrote in an email. “You’re creating a person, a character portraying that persona through costumes.”

The last interaction between Lily and Surath is through a telephone conversation, as she tells him that she wants to spend the last days of her life with him and to meet her at the lighthouse in the evening.

Tragically, it is Surath who dies and never makes it to the lighthouse, as on his way there, he stops to buy flowers and subsequently and quite abruptly, gets run over by a car. Immediately, the scene cuts to his funeral where Ruwini calls out to Lily and they embrace in a solemn hug.

“Comes the Wind” encapsulates the idea that life is a series of arrivals and departures — a message that Lily herself brought up throughout the film. The friendship between Lily and Surath did not get a conclusive ending and it is unknown if Lily ends up taking care of Ruwini indefinitely. Rather, the film opts to linger on a moment after the funeral when they are back at Lily’s house and Ruwini is lying on the bed. It softly, yet also harshly in its emotional value, ends in that moment.

There is no resolution that wraps the narrative up into a bow. Just as the film begins, it ends in uncertainty.