Filmmakers find their place at ‘Filme Caribe’

This programme was developed to celebrate and showcase local and regional films in an interactive forum, where the audience is encouraged to share their feedback and opinions with the filmmakers. The goal is to encourage the growth of this industry, generating revenue and ensuring a prosperous future for all beneficiaries of the Trinidad and Tobago (TT) film industry.

Only in its second screening, “Filme Caribe” is well on its way in achieving this objective. TTFC’s chief executive officer Carla Foderingham said so far, “Filme Caribe” has had a good audience turn out with positive reviews of the movies and the of initiative on the whole. Foderingham noted that attendees were already attesting that the “Filme Caribe” series was creating a presence for local and regional film among movie lovers and the general public alike. The importance of the Little Carib Theatre as the home of ‘Filme Caribe’ cannot be underscored. The space serves as a cultural icon in the arena of the arts, hosting dance concerts and plays. Chairman of its Board, Michael Germain said the Little Carib Theatre’s vision has always been to foster all arts in TT. He said film adds to the aesthetic of local arts and the theatre was honoured to be selected as a space for this art form to evolve.

What makes locally and regionally produced films exceptional is that they tell the story of the Caribbean and its people. Local and regional film tends to focus on the Caribbean’s rich ethnic diversity and multiple cultures of any given group.

In celebration of East Indian Arrival Day, “Filme Caribe” showcased four local films on May 29 which highlighted the East Indian diaspora, its past, modern and preserved traditional practices and emotions.

Pat Mohammed, explained that her films (“Coolie Pink and Green” and “17 Colours and a Sitar”) focus on the evolution of TT history and culture through “call and response dialogue of changing culture,” while utilising colour to create emotional responses from the viewer.She said that “Filme Caribe” has “created a space” for indigenous movies, while “beckoning in a new discerning film audience.”

Her colleague, award-winning actor/filmmaker Errol Sitahal, whose film Malini traces the guilt and shame felt by a son who left his family years ago and spent his life hiding from his culture and his true being, said the initiative has set the stage for the “socialisation” of the local and regional film industry, giving filmmakers the opportunity to present their films and directly interact with film lovers. He said the TTFC’s efforts towards the expansion of the film industry through such audience based initiatives had ensured there would be room for a “great new generation of filmmakers.” Folklorist, actor and filmmaker and TTFC director, Al Ramsawack presented the documentary Ganga Dashara, which details the re-emergence of the traditional Hindu river festival in Trinidad.

The film was well-received for chronicling an important religious observance in which non-Hindus also participate. In continued celebration of TT and the region’s history, the next “Filme Caribe” scheduled for June 18 will pay homage to Labour Day and the struggles of “Trinbagonains” to establish their identity a screening of Alex De Verteuil and Elizabeth Topp’s documentary ’70: Remembering A Revolution . The production captures one of the most important yet most misunderstood events in TT’s modern history – the “Black Power Uprising.” The documentary features interviews with various activists, politicians, military officers and others who were caught up in the events, evoking the heady months when “Power to the people!” was the popular cry.

“Filme Caribe” continues to set its sights on expanding the marketing and distribution opportunities for TT films with additional proposed “Filme Caribe” screenings in Tobago and San Fernando.

A public call is being made for persons/organisations interested in partnering with the TTFC to come forward and support the initiative.

“Filme Caribe” is more than a series of film screenings; it is movement towards establishing the vibrant TT film industry as a pivotal sector growing and evolving within our culture and economy. For more information on Filme Caribe call the TTFC on 625 FILM (3456) or email info@trinidadandtobagofilm.com