New book and DVD refresh Josephian masterpiece ‘Little Bike Lost’

Avishka Mario Senewiratne’s “Noel Crusz’s Little Bike Lost” is a well-researched and well-written book which gives the whole story about late Fr. Noel Crusz (St Joseph’s College) and the filming of it by the schoolboys of St Joseph’s College under his guidance. Now the original 16mm celluloid film of the then famous ’ Little Bike Lost’ has also been restored and digitally re-mastered by the Tulana Media Unit, with subtitles and a sound and music track added.

Fr. Noel Crusz made about nineteen films from 1950 to 1960. Among them were documentary films on different Roman Catholic religious congregations and their work in Ceylon. He also filmed life on the island of Iranaitivu and in the Vedda country in 1950. In 1957, late Dr. P. R. Anthonis and Dr. Francis Silva, the renowned surgeons, granted Fr. Noel his wish to be the first filmmaker in Ceylon to be allowed into the operating theatre to film a surgery in progress.

Fr. Noel travelled to Italy with his Bolex camera in 1953 and made a documentary colour film about his heroine, the Roman Catholic “Saint of the Century”, Maria Goretti (1890 – 1902), a peasant girl who was murdered by a young man, because she defended her virginity. He made three fiction feature films, “The Cross on the Sands” (1950), “Little Bike Lost” (1956) and “All My World” (1960).

‘Little Bike Lost’ – the feature film of 110 minutes was made by the boys of “St. Joseph’s College Film Society” under the guidance of Fr. Noel Crusz at the time he had been on the college staff. It was filmed on location in the school and around Colombo, in 16mm black and white with a Bolex H16 camera, using mostly naturally available light, with sound recorded separately.

Avishka Mario Senewiratne says that unfortunately the film was erased from the history of Sri Lankan cinema, and pride of place was given to Lester James Peries’ “Rekava” (also in 1956) as the first Sri Lankan feature film made outside the studio, using natural light and dubbed sound. He says that the book authored by him and the digitally re-mastered version of its film by Tulana Media Unit will give it the recognition it deserves among discerning movie-watchers and readers. Please phone 0716825955 or 0766122345 if you are interested in getting more information on both the book and the DVD,” he said.