Cultural protectors must act

THE EDITOR: The ‘Mystic Masseur’ is a story pregnant with comedy, revelations, on the social psyche of our East Indian descendants. The story, captured by the literacy eagle, VS Naipaul, should be a book, or film, worthy of our acknowledgment. In the book, the Nobel laureate captures through the protagonist, Ganesh Ramsumair, or is it G Ramsay Muir, both conflict and atmosphere to suggest a tone compatible with local reality or expectation. So, what of the film? It was shown about a month ago at Movie Towne, and at Trincity, and I searched daily the ‘Cinema Guide’ to locate it but to no avail up to this time. I have read the book about three times, and each time I laugh more. This film was the product of a foreign film company and actors. And I now ask, did it connect with a reality that was ours or was it subtitling a foreign culture that we, ourselves, cannot understand. Was the film a fiasco, due to small crowd response? If so, why so?

In Trinidad and Tobago we have a proficient cadre of playwrights and actors to do justice to our local themes, to attract, compel rather, massive audiences anywhere, in any part of the world. Our cultural protectors must act now. They owe us an explanation as to what is the nature or position of this noble filming of our lives. So, before any attempt to do the same to another one of our cultural treasures, CLR James’ Minty Alley for example. We must pay rightful homage to the salt of our contribution to world civilisation ourselves. Schools are on vacation, and the judges are out, the children! Anything to say, Professor Ken Ramchand or is it too early.

Richard Dindial
Cunipia