Sumitra Peries (born 24 March 1934) is the first[citation needed] Sri Lankan female filmmaker and is known by all as the "Poetess of Sinhala Cinema". She also held the post of Sri Lanka's ambassador to France, Spain and the United Nations in the late 1990s. Of her films the **** popular ones are Gehenu Lamai, Ganga Addara and Yahaluvo. She is married to the most prolific Sri Lankan film director Dr. Lester James Peries.