In the midst of a global pandemic that disrupted every facet of human life, Sri Lanka enacted a policy that struck at the very heart of one community’s spiritual and cultural identity. The man­datory cremation rule for COVID-19 victims, enforced from March 2020, not only caused profound psychological trauma but also ignited a national conversation on religious freedom, state accountability, and the limits of public health policy.

In 2023, a group of Sri Lankan creatives came together to document this controversial period in Oddamavadi – The Untold Story—a compelling book and documentary that blend personal testimony, visual storytelling, and investigative insight. It aims not just to record a dark chapter, but to urge reflection, justice, and reconciliation.

Aman Ashraff, director and producer of the searing documentary, ‘Oddamavadi: The Untold Story’, under the banner of Black Coffee Films, doesn’t mince his words when he explains why this story needed to be told. “Such an unlawful act against humanity took place in this country,” he says, his voice calm but resolute. “We had to record it for posterity.”

The government’s policy, introduced under public health regulations at the height of the pandemic, was seen by critics as both medically unjustified and religiously insensitive. Islam mandates burial, and for many Muslim families, the idea of cremation was both spiritually devastating and culturally alien.

The decision drew criticism from the international medical community, including statements from the World Health Organization (WHO), which said burial of COVID-19 victims posed no significant public health risk. Nonetheless, the policy remained in place for nearly a year before being revised in early 2021.

During that time, Oddamavadi—a remote village in the Eastern Province—was designated as the only site in Sri Lanka where Muslim COVID-19 victims could be buried, subjecting families to long, emotionally wrenching journeys and often preventing them from participating in funerals.

Ashraff’s determination to capture and immortalise this dark chapter of Sri Lankan history was not born out of vengeance, but a fierce loyalty to truth and humanity. The film and accompanying book were designed not merely to expose, but to educate — to serve as a cautionary record for future generations and governments. “We did not serve any political machinery of any kind,” he insists. “We merely wished to ensure that this dark episode in the history of Sri Lanka was recorded and enshrined in some way so that such atrocities never happen again.”

“Listen. Just listen.”

The road to Oddamavadi – The Untold Story was paved with mistrust, fear, and pain. The Muslim community, still nursing unhealed wounds, was reluctant to speak. “By nature, the norm of the community is to remain very private,” Ashraff explains. “To sort of not speak out on such issues for fear of persecution, or whatever other reason there may exist.”

Building trust became the first monumental task. Ashraff reached out — not with cameras or scripts — but with empathy and patience. “We had to earn their trust,” he says. “To show them that we would do right by their stories, that we would document their suffering with dignity and integrity.”

He did not do it alone. Ashraff rallied a team of extraordinary individuals who understood the gravity of the task at hand. Most of them, he points out with pride, were not from the Muslim community. “We had Buddhists, Christians, Burghers, Tamils — a complete mix. This was a Sri Lankan story put together by Sri Lankans for Sri Lanka.”He speaks with particular reverence and pride of creative collaborators Roshanara De Mel and David Blacker — both veterans in the advertising world and long-time colleagues. “Having worked with them over the years,” Ashraff says, “Their creativity was matched by their compassion.” He continues, “In their words, their acts, their views, I saw their humanity,” he says. “And their concern for justice and fairness — for people of all walks of life.”

Behind the scenes – Filming in Colombo

“There was life in every sentence. And a soul in every frame.”

To Roshanara De Mel, this was a divine charge. “If the writer or photographer is doing it merely for monetary gain, you can always tell. But when they are truly affected by what they have seen, almost every sentence is written with deep reflection, with a deep sense of responsibility.” De Mel continues, “It takes a toll on you. Sitting with the grief and pain of those who suffered deeply because of the cremation-only policy… On one hand, it triggers the fears and anxieties of the horror that was COVID-19. On the other, there is the sense of injustice and outrage at such a discriminatory policy,” she told The Sunday Island.

That responsibility was not taken lightly.

“The story is what is important,” David Blacker says. “Whether you’re a writer, filmmaker or photojournalist—find the core of what makes a story important. And then be unabashed in telling it like it is.” Blacker continues, “As a photographer, it was important that I represented the feelings, emotions, and stories of the victims accurately… and the challenge was to not be exploitative in my attempt to create a striking image,” he said.

While some might expect visual storytelling to lean on neutrality, Blacker made a conscious decision to center the humanity of the subjects over traditional notions of objectivity.

His photographs, included in the book, reflect quiet devastation—elderly parents staring into the distance, children sitting beside symbolic graves, and the bleak, windswept terrain of Oddamavadi itself. These images, paired with testimonies and essays, create a layered narrative that speaks not just to grief, but also to strength and resistance.

What sets Oddamavadi apart is not just the painful truth it reveals — but the love and care with which that truth is handled. Many of the extended team members worked pro bono. “They said, ‘Look, if we do not contribute to this project, we’re failing as Sri Lankans.’”

A Nation Awakens

The responses to the film have been as complex as the country it documents. Some within the Muslim community were suspicious, accusing the filmmakers of having a political agenda.

“Some Muslims said this was unnecessary dredging of an unpleasant episode and that it’s best left alone,” Blacker says. He continues, “But I maintain that the recording of history, and the explaining of context, is invaluable in preventing it being repeated.”

Others — victims’ families and everyday Sri Lankans from all faiths — responded with heartbreaking gratitude.

“One individual was unable to speak because she was overwhelmed with emotion, so she sent her feedback as a text message. Even there though, you could feel the emotions etched in every word” Ashraff recollects. “Another stated, ‘I’m ashamed to be a Buddhist because when I see what has transpired here, I just feel so ashamed,’ That is not an easy thing to say,” Ashraff reflects.

This, he believes, is the true power of storytelling — to awaken empathy, to stir reflection, to demand action. “If the work we have done has made people ask the question — ‘Have I been complicit by being silent?’ — then I think we have accomplished something monumental.”

Blacker adds, “I hope it will contribute to an understanding that the letter of the law must be tempered with empathy,” he said. “That we need a more secular state in our policymaking—even as we recognize the religious and cultural identities of our people.”

On location at Oddamavadi

Final Audio Mix

A Story Larger Than Themselves

Ashraff’s voice (and that of his colleagues) carry both fatigue and fulfillment when he speaks of the toll the project has taken. It was not something he had planned. “Oddamavadi was not part of a larger canvas. It just… fell into my lap.”

Would he do it again? Perhaps. But not simply as “a Muslim communications professional who handles only Muslim affairs.” If there is another story worth telling — one that demands conscience and clarity — he may rise to meet it.

But for now, he has done what many would not dare. And he has done it with integrity.

A Final Word

If he were to offer one piece of advice to others seeking to tell such stories, it would be this: “Don’t be too eager to force your personal opinion into a story. Listen to what the subject/s of the story wish to say. These are not commercial films. These are real stories that have affected real people.”

By Ifham Nizam ✍️