As part of GemArts Masala Festival 2026, join us for a screening of Jude Ratnam's 2017 documentary film, Demons in Paradise. This poignant film follows Ratnam's return to Sri Lanka, after fleeing the violence there as a 5-year-old boy. 


About the film 

Director: Jude Ratnam  |  Tamil, English, Sinhalese  |  Sri Lanka 2017
94 minutes

Sri Lanka 1983, Jude Ratman is five years old. On a red train, he flees the massacre of he Tamils insigated by the liberal majoritarian government. Now a filmmaker, he takes the same train from South to North. As he advances, the traces of the violence of the 26-year-old war and the one which turned the Tamil's fight for freedom into a self-destructive terrorism pass before his eyes. Reminiscing the hidden souvenirs of fighters and Tamil Tigers, he unveils the repressed memories of his compatriots, opening the door to a new era and making peace possible again. 

Presented by GemArts, Newcastle University and Northumbria University. 


​About Masala Festival

GemArts' award-winning Masala Festival returns from 13th – 19th July for its 10th anniversary, bringing a vibrant mix and blend of the finest South Asian arts and culture to the North East. Enjoy an incredible programme of performances, exhibitions, events, workshops, talks, pop-ups, and of course, delicious Indian food in venues, places and spaces across the region. Don't miss this special milestone year! 

For the full Masala Festival 2026 programme, visit www.gemarts.org/whatson

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