‘City on the Hill’ film trumpets Laventille

They say “small tings chook hard” and that’s certainly the case with the selection of short films which are scheduled to play at MovieTowne and Nalis in Port-of-Spain, as the festival rolls into its second week, said a media release from the ttff.

City on the Hill directed by Patricia Mohammed and Michael Mooleedhar: Medium- length documentary/ 47 minutes The film opens with an aria from the opera Madam Butterfly and with beautiful shots of the Laventille Hills and stunning city views below, showcasing the community and surrounding areas in a way that belies today’s newspaper headlines.

This is a Laventille unknown or perhaps forgotten - its scenic undulating hills, its peaks seemingly in close proximity to the heavens, winding roads, ancient steps and wonderful 17th and 18th century architecture, dominated by Our Lady of Fatima church. Compatriots and those interested in our built heritage will love it, as will those who are partial to the work of authors Derek Walcott and Earl Lovelace. The poetry and prose they wrote in Ode to Laventille is used to narrate the film through the commanding voice of 3canal’s Wendell Manwarren.

Produced as part of a UWI research project, City on the Hill seeks to document the built and cultural heritage of East Port-of-Spain, as well as its religious foundations – the Rada, Orisha, Hindu and Christian communities – in support of the economic and social development of the area. The film has successfully screened in Los Angeles and New Orleans, and to the Laventille community at the old Despers’ panyard in Laventille.

It screens at the ttff