The documentary, filmed in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the country’s unprecedented economic crisis, was produced by Boston-based Pakistani journalist and filmmaker Beena Sarwar. The project was developed in collaboration with a Sri Lankan team that included historian and filmmaker SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda and researcher Uditha Devapriya.
Co-directed and co-written by Sarwar and Tammita-Delgoda — who also conceptualised the project and served as a special consultant — the film explores themes that extend beyond Sri Lanka’s economic turmoil, placing the crisis within a broader global and democratic context.
The documentary held its private premiere at the Barberyn Ayurveda Resort, followed by a Colombo premiere hosted by Factum International in July 2024. The Colombo screening drew a diverse audience, including diplomats, political representatives, journalists, academics, cultural figures and retired military officials.
Since its release, Democracy in Debt has been screened more than 80 times across approximately 25 countries spanning five continents. In the United States, screenings have taken place at Emerson College, Cambridge Public Library, Cornell University and University at Buffalo.
The film has also been screened in several South Asian cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Jaipur, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Dhaka and Kathmandu, reflecting its wide
