The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free

Sri Lankan Kandyan Dance Troop at Sidmouth
A Sri Lankan dance troop enthrals folk festival goers.
In partnership with:

Overview
TV reporter Lawrie Quayle introduces a preview of the twenty-sixth International Folklore Festival at Sidmouth in Devon. Women perform a Sri Lankan Kandyan dance to drum music. The Kandyan dance is native to the area around Kandy, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka in the central hills and 70 miles away from today’s capital Colombo. The origins of the dance come from the ritual known as Kohomba Kankariya, a traditional Sinhala folk rite for the deity Kohomba Yaka.
It relates to the story of Malayaraja Kathava or King Malaya and dates to the time of King Panduvasudeva. The dances are performed annually at the Kandy Perahera a religious and cultural event which takes place in the city of Kandy in honour of the sacred tooth-relic of the Buddha housed in the Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth. The drum used in Kandyan dancing is known as the Geta Bera. The dances are said to ward off pestilence and are used for obtaining relief from personal afflictions. Kohomba is also a tree called neem or Indian lilac in English with many uses including as an eco-friendly insecticide. The Sidmouth Folk Festival started in 1955 and grew to become an international annual event.
Related

Victory Parade Victory Parade
Documentary 1946 21 mins
Soldiers from the far reaches of the British Empire arrive in London to take part in the official commemoration of the end of war in Europe.

Commonwealth Foundation Commonwealth Foundation
Documentary 1969 12 mins Location: Brixton
Beach, church and carnival – Chief Inspector of Brixton Police sent to Trinidad to learn about West Indian customs.

Child Child
Documentary 1947 18 mins Silent
Advice for village families on raising children to become strong, healthy citizens

Carnival Fantastique Carnival Fantastique
Documentary 1960 18 mins
Vibrant documentary that captures Trinidad's famous street carnival in 1960.

Messages from Bhupen Khakhar Messages from Bhupen Khakhar
Documentary 1983 37 mins
"Good taste can be very killing": personal reflections from the self-trained Indian painter.

Mauritius 1941 Mauritius 1941
Amateur film 1941 14 mins Silent
The film shows Port Louis, the capital; workers on sugar plantations and road mending as well as colonial life in the then British dependency.

Devon Devon
Travelogue 1939 18 mins Location: Exeter
The cream of Devon painted in an unfamiliar palette in this Dufaycolor travelogue

Winter Tour Winter Tour
Documentary 1949 10 mins Silent Location: Barnes Common
A grand coach tour makes its way to Hampshire, Dorset and Devon, leaving London far behind

Holidays around Sidmouth Holidays around Sidmouth
Amateur film 1956 3 mins Silent Location: Sidmouth
Sidmouth sits hidden among the cliffs and the area is filmed by an enthusiastic holidaymaker.

The Resort of Sidmouth The Resort of Sidmouth
News 1950 11 mins Silent Location: Sidmouth
This fifties holiday film captures the mood of the day in beautiful colour.

The Sidmouth Folk Festival The Sidmouth Folk Festival
Current affairs 1970 7 mins Location: Sidmouth
International folk bands and troupes put on an act at Sidmouth

Hawke Surfcat Catamarans Hawke Surfcat Catamarans
Current affairs 1980 5 mins Location: Sidmouth
Cat on Water! Catamaran race off Sidmouth

New Perspectives: Tangerine New Perspectives: Tangerine
Short documentary 2025 3 mins
Harry Wallace, a student at Northumbria university, explains why Sean Baker's LA-set comedy-drama, about a transgender sex worker on the hunt for her cheating -ex, is worth your time.

Daniel Craig in Conversation with Mark Kermode Daniel Craig in Conversation with Mark Kermode
Inside Film 2025 44 mins
Daniel Craig talks to Mark Kermode about his acting career, from his early role in Love is the Devil through to the Luca Guadagnino directed Queer.

New Perspectives: Fish Tank New Perspectives: Fish Tank
Short documentary 2025 4 mins
Adam Smith of Northumbria University explains why Andrea Arnold's coming-of-age story, about a girl who uses dance to escape, is his favourite film on BFI Player.

New Perspectives: Pusher New Perspectives: Pusher
Short documentary 2025 5 mins
Noah Ball of Northumbria University explains why you should seize the chance to watch Nicolas Winding Refn's debut.

Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan on working with David Lynch - Q&A Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan on working with David Lynch - Q&A
Inside Film 2025 38 mins
Kyle MacLachlan talks to BFI CEO Ben Roberts about working with David Lynch on the legendary series Twin Peaks.

On Falling - Exclusive Q&A On Falling - Exclusive Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
Writer-director Laura Carreira talks to Nia Childs about her debut feature, On Falling.