Peiris spent close to a decade covering the civil conflict in his homeland, roving between land held by Tamil separatists and the Colombo government-patrolled areas. Under pseudonyms, he worked at newspapers and news agencies where journalists and photographers published work critical of both the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Peiris was questioned by police and militants more times than he cares to remember. But when a friend was killed and their independent news website was shut down, he made plans to bring his family to Australia. He arrived in November 2006. Some threats, he says, are not to be dismissed. Peiris is one of a group of migrants engaged in the Short Film Project, run at the Yarraville Community Centre. There, migrant residents were mentored by filmmaker Amie Batalibasi over three months to learn the art of creating films. The result is a program of short films that screen next Thursday night.

Peiris's film is about the value of a humble tree, that value being recognised only when it is cut down.

■The Short Film Project screens 7pm, Thursday, July 8, at Yarraville Community Centre.