About halfway into the Barbadian documentary Hall, which started off as a standard ‘true crime story’ of a man convicted for the murder of an elderly plantation owner, the narrative shifts into a tale of nearly pure folly and comedy. Criminals and crimes often make fascinating stories. What makes for an even more fascinating story is when the criminal becomes a celebrity. I will say that the compelling story surrounding Winston Hall, the most notorious fugitive in Barbadian history, is one that needed to be told.

Through multiple accounts from historians, journalists and even entertainers, we learn of a man that has achieved ‘folklore’ status in Barbados. A youthful Hall found himself involved in a gang, eventually culminating in the murder of Cyril Sisnett. He was charged with murder, convicted, and sent to prison. He escaped prison in 1985. But he escaped prison a few times after that. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. Watch the film to see how many times Hall made fools out of the Bajan police…

The great thing about Hall’s multiple prison escapes is that it highlights the dynamic between a man on the wrong side of the law and the general public’s reaction to it. The media fanned the flames of Hall’s escapades, making him into a hero. Musicians took the pulse of the public and songs were composed lauding Hall’s tenacity. Calypso music features prominently in the film and rightfully so. Like the musical art form, Hall himself becomes a form of social commentary on the failure of Barbados’s police and prison service.

Director Rommel Hall (no relation to the titular character) spoke of this film as being a labour of love, spending almost a decade attempting to get it off the ground. In the end, I would say it was worth the labour and the love. The audience in attendance actually rooted for a convicted murderer. I have to admit; so did I. In fact, most of Barbados did to. I guess I don’t feel that bad now. Hall is worth your time and attention, because it pulls off a truly remarkable feat, in making a man, who committed a serious crime, a person that you could feel sympathy for, a human that you could relate to, and a fugitive that you could secretly and not so secretly cheer for. The internal conflict it brings on makes this film a true success.

Hero is the story of a man who made history in the truest sense of the word. The film can almost be called an epic, because it chronicles an epic life. After seeing Hero, I now think that Ulric Cross is on a short-list of candidates for the title, “Greatest Trinibagonian in our History”. His achievements are staggering, and it is sad that they are not better known.

Cross was a global citizen, before Globalisation was a buzz word- And this film takes you on a journey to explore the wide sweep of his life. You will start in Trinidad, journey to England and Europe during World War II, then to Ghana, Congo, Cameroon, and Tanzania. In every one of these African countries he played a monumental role, and was contemporaries and friends with gigantic historical figures such as Kwame Nkrumah and Patrice Lumumba. Cross occupied positions of power and consequence, even becoming the Attorney General of Cameroon. And, all the while, Cross conducts himself with a finely developed conscience and with an idealistic vision for creating an egalitarian world. No doubt, Cross, like everyone else, has his flaws, but that only makes him more relatable.

This bio-pic accurately depicted what life in the 1950s and onwards was like, and it was able to maintain a delicate balance between well placed humor and rich history. The multitudinous aspects of Cross’s life highlighted were thought provoking, engaging, and often quite moving. The film is, in so many ways, inspiring and far reaching – it makes you want to participate in life and activism. There is definitely something in this film that will resonate with each Trinbagonian viewer.

The Director’s vision was executed beautifully, the story flowed even though the film is firmly segmented into sharp chapter-like sections. Still, the film fits seamlessly together, and utterly holds your attention despite its historical content. The use of strategically placed elements such as music and archive video was an excellent tool in telling the story of this real person – this is particularly true with interview footage of Cross towards the end of his life, where he isn’t the giant he once was and has to be cared for and supported. The vast dynamic of his story can make it, at times almost unbelievable to think that this man existed and came from Trinidad. This is definitely one to watch!

VCTT Volunteer Feature Writer Nickisha McClean Parris speaks to Arist Dean Arlen on his film.

The idea of exploring the ‘living space’ has always consumed Dean Arlen since he returned from the Ontario College of Art and Design, which he attended on a Commonwealth Fellowship completing his studies in installation art. Arlen also previously attended John Donaldson Technical Institute where he completed a Craftsman’s Diploma in Jewellery Making and continued at UWI, St. Augustine pursuing a Certificate in Visual Arts.

His submission to this year’s film festival is Sensing Travel: a series of deconstructing moments within aesthetics. This 17-minute documentary short will be screened in Grundlos Kollektiv on Thursday, September 20, as part of the Art Film presentation in collaboration with Culturego Magazine.

When asked about his work Arlen had this to say, “As an art student, my final programme involved installation Art. We really pursued a multi-disciplinarian approach utilizing woodwork, metalwork, sculpture, collages, video and film theory and the like.”

Coming home Arlen found that finding filmmakers willing to share and collaborate was problematic. Finding many of the films being produced ‘boring’, Arlen felt that he needed to experiment with the art form and push the established boundaries.

Working on this project with co-producer and collaborator, his cousin Tahira Adams (in photo), who also functioned as editor, meant that over time they started putting together the film using footage that he had been shooting for quite some time. Arlen sees Sensing Travel as ‘the tip of the spear’ where this type of filmmaking is concerned. He notes that it speaks to how we relate to who we are and how we negotiate space.

This film flows from Trinidad to New York on to Japan and then on to Thailand. There is a flow that is created about the migration narrative. There is a speech on immigration done by Professor Rhoda Reddock as well as one from an Indian activist and many interesting points are brought up, hopefully, there is another story that can come out of that narrative.

In its entirety, the film took 2 years to complete, we were really editing only on Sundays and it was a challenge doing something like this, but it was a challenge that allowed for growth. The idea is that while its an ‘art film’ it doesn’t have to be slick and Sensing Travel has that aesthetic. In that, we juxtaposed ideas and ideals in the project. In a local film we have a rhythm that is specific, almost an ‘offness’ when placed next to a Hollywood production.v

When asked who should see this film, Arlen had this to say, “I think art student, filmmakers, theoretical thinkers and the like should. What are Caribbean films creating a discussion on? Really though, I know Yao Ramesar makes films in a particular style that lends to deeper discourse Another film maker’s whose work is impressive is Tony Hall with his exploration on Jouvert in a modern space operating in the vernacular. His work with the Banyon company is quite compelling.

Honestly, I don’t know if we really need to go forward. I created a documentary. The format is what is different but not new really. It’s almost an ‘early MTV’ format. At its core, we have certain formulas for creating a film that is constant; build, paint a picture, edit, it is all a theoretical conversation. This didactic is seen mainly in music videos.”

I know others are doing it, ‘challenging the narrative’. Historically film is influenced by life, by art, filmmakers in Europe have always been doing it, I really hope that Sensing Travel opens the door to that conversation. There is a type of rhythm that emerges. Basically, it comes down to being a summary of a travel diary. A conversation of sorts.

While Arlen doesn’t see the project as experimental in nature he does see it as exploring the vernacular of film. About questioning how we think about space, especially from a Caribbean standpoint. “I think this isn’t something we really do, I remember hearing once that what is needed in Architecture isn’t more architecture but more theorists – and this could be what is needed in this field – people thinking about the theory of what is being done.”

One day though, he’d like to work with local filmmaker Yao Ramesar, “He uses his films as art, with his long spans and landscapes, and his work is indicative of what is needed in the discourse on the aesthetic of the craft. Of course, it would be great to also work with Peter Doig, he is a visual artist that who loves film, his art has an aesthetic that is appealing on that scale. His art references film. Clearly opposite ends of the spectrum, him it would be interesting to see what a project would look like, with Yao, there would be an aesthetic of collage and rhythm. And in this, there would be the complexity of how to produces our ‘offness’ that glitch…”

He sees the goal of being like Hollywood as unrealistic, “I think in the industry we should look at ‘B’ movies, really look at Sharknado and how much it grossed, look at the Lifetime channel, Nollywood, Bollywood. What do we really want to put out there.”

Dean will be present for an Artist’s Talk at Grundlos Kollektiv tonight, Thursday 20 September for Art Films starting at 7pm.

VCTT Volunteer Feature Writer Angela St. Pierre- Maynard speaks to Director Cassandra Joseph on Vwé Kafé and the importance of keeping the Patois/Creole language alive

One of the first things about the documentary short, Vwé Kafé (2018) that stands out is its title. , The 16 minute film is directed by Cassandra Joseph, Vincent Lopez and Nnamdi Hodge, a French Creole teacher. The film’s unique title calls us to wonder why the directors chose the Patois title as opposed to its English translation ‘Real Coffee’. The film follows Betrand Joseph, (Cassandra Joseph’s grandfather) as he demonstrates how he makes his coffee, the old fashion way and as the title itself stresses, it is how real coffee is made. Although, the film goes into exploring the old fashioned way of making coffee, it is the language and styling of the film that gives a lot more than we expect.

Filmed on location at Mr. Joseph’s home in Paramin over the course of two months, we follow along with him as he treks through the bushy landscape to get to his coffee trees. After he collects its fruit, he takes it back to his home where he grinds the beans using a wooden mortar and pestle, roasts and then finally boils the remainder for drinking. The entire time Mr. Betrand speaks to us only in Patois and for those of us not too familiar with the language itself, it may give you a feeling of travelling back in time or that maybe the film itself was shot in another country.

It’s one of the many things about this film that make it a unique experience. Not only does Mr. Betrand demonstrate for us the simple traditions of the life he has lived here in this place, but he represents the continued existence of an important piece of our history that most of us have forgotten.

Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Patois seemed more like a myth than a surviving remnant of our history and though the language exists throughout the Caribbean Diaspora, it seems particularly important that it be documented here. Speaking with director Cassandra Joseph, she expressed that the film’s use of Patois was especially significant because she felt that more people needed to know about the language and its existence within our society. “There is still a small community of persons who still speak this Patois on a daily basis in Paramin. My household is fluent, except myself.” She recalled her experiences growing up, not hearing the language much outside her household and felt that the language was dying out unnecessarily in Paramin. She also observed that as Trinbagonians we still use words like ‘fete’, ‘dou dou’ and ‘mauvais lanng’, in our everyday vernacular but never give a second thought to their origin from the French Creole/ Patois language. She essentially hopes to bring about a deeper awareness to the language and its importance to our culture.

Ms. Joseph whose earlier works include Broom-Maker (2012) and Septant Lanné Ansamn (70 years Together) (2017), which were also inspired by and even featured her grandparents, focused on similar themes including the use of the Patois language, cultural representation, identity and tradition. The use of music in Vwé Kafé was also specifically selected to highlight the importance and preservation of the language. The music used is called “Creche”, and is a type of French Christmas carol sung in a Creole styling. The songs selected were from French books passed down through generations of the Joseph family, according to the film’s director- “Allons Sonsons” by Mendez/Joseph, “Dou Mama Dou” by Harrigin / Hodge and “L’Heureux Moment” sung in acapella by Betrand Joseph.

Vwé Kafé as well as the people and the language that inspired the telling of these stories, reconnect its audience to those old traditions that were once a large part of Caribbean lifestyle and upbringing. It also calls for a reexamination of our cultural identity as stands today, as well as fostering the hope for better preservation of our history in order to shape our future.

An additional  free screening of Vwé Kafé will be shown at The UWI Film Programme at 7.00pm on Friday 21 September. Further screenings will be on Monday 24 September at 1.00pm, MovieTowne, San’Do, Screen 4 and 6.00pm, MovieTowne, POS-Screen 7.

VCTT Volunteer Feature Writer Xavier Barzay met up with tfff/18 festival artist and educator Sabrina Charran to discuss her work and collaboration with ttff.

Xavier: I met up with Sabrina Charran at Rituals Café, nestled at a cozy corner on Sweet Briar Road, on a rainy day like no other. Sabrina embodies confidence, as her unapologetic stance for her work and strong passion is deeply engraved within her impressive pieces. She is the featured artist at this year’s trinidad+ tobago film festival, with a selected piece from her 2015 collection entitled ‘LoveHate.’ As we settled with our beverages in hand, we casually spoke about Sabrina’s life experiences as an artist, the Heart Therapy Project and working with ttff.

Xavier: So tell me a little bit about yourself as an artist?

Sabrina: I always knew that I wanted to be an artist since primary school. I’ve always been interested in art without knowing how much courage it would take to be an artist. I was never exposed to the fear of being an artist. As I got older, you hear more and more people asking you, “Are you sure that’s where you want to go?” They would try to challenge you or try to divert your interest onto other things. I went to Bishops and it opened my mind more to art because I was surrounded by people who were also interested in having careers as artists as well. My art teacher used to exhibit and she taught as well which was inspiring. At the end of form five, we would have our show at the museum. So that confirmed to me, that this was the direction I wanted to take. Later on, I graduated from UWI with first class honours in Visual Arts. I then took my passions further by going into teaching because I knew that I can’t have the life I want to have just by making art. I did a lot of freelance work as a graphic artist, I did commissions and portraits. I decided to do something in education where I can gain new skills all while doing what I love.

Xavier: Can you elaborate on your art process?

Sabrina: Art making for me is not relaxing. It’s work that stresses me out, but it’s something I enjoy. A lot of the times when I’m not psychically engaged in making a picture, I am thinking about things and I’m allowing my subconscious to store things. In primary school and high school, I loved stories growing up. I was always a storyteller and I loved painting so I thought I can try to mix the two. In my process now, I combined all the interests like the narrative, the graphic edge as seen in my stencil work and of course nothing could compare to working with paint. The paint does its own thing. I work with Photoshop and Illustrator. I like to do digital sketching which is less time consuming. I also work both ways with technology and freehand. I make notes in the middle of the night. Sometimes the ideas that come, can turn out to be solutions for the problems that I was having in a painting. In the end, it’s well worth it. It’s satisfying to think about the feeling of looking at all the pieces up in a gallery that is all connected to one story. When I’m working I think holistically, I don’t just see one picture, I see pictures as chapters in my story.

Xavier: Could you name an artist that inspires you?

Sabrina: It changes, it really changes since I was in high school the inspiration sources would usually change. I remembered loving Boscoe Holder’s work and the classic names in art in the Caribbean. Then, my interest became hybrid. I began to have an interest in anyone who worked with the human form, whether it was in the Caribbean or just in classical training like European style. I also, really love graphic design as well and it is seen in some of the images that drive some of the work that I do like the piece that is shown at the trinidad+tobago Film Festival (ttff). I’m inspired by the works of Roy Lichtenstein, Rene` Magritte and pieces from Andy Warhol. I really love the classic graphic styles. I also like things with a sharp stencil, simple colours, three colours, four colours. I’m thinking in print, but I’m actually painting. Furthermore, I think about the versatility when I’m making art, one that I can easily take and put up on the streets in stencil form if I wanted to. To print it would be cheap, affordable and easy to reproduce. To me, the ideas behind the work stems from my real life experience. Work that tells a story and narrative is inspiring to me like Frida Kahlo’s work as well. The influencers is vast, it all depends on what I am making at the time.

Xavier: Can you describe your experience working with the trinidad+tobago film festival?

Sabrina: It stems from the theme ‘love film.’ They really wanted to go back to the visual arts. For the past few years they’ve been using artists who worked with photography and they wanted an actual painter. So they decided to contact me because of an exhibition I did in 2015. I made those pieces based on traumatic events. So the work is sort of a catharsis and the piece for ttff was actually chosen from that collection called ‘LoveHate’ at Medulla Art Gallery, so that’s really where the connection was.

Xavier: What is the story behind your chosen art piece for the trinidad+tobago film festival?

Sabrina: So all the works from ‘LoveHate’ are linked to a personal story. The stories weren’t nice. That whole exhibition came out of hurt. I was in a really bad place at that time. I took these stories which was replaying in my mind and that feeling of not being heard to produce these pieces. So I vented through art because art became my best friend.

Xavier: Would you tell me a little bit about the Heart Therapy Project?

Sabrina: At St. Jude’s, they actually saw the work that I did through my portfolio. They saw the work that I did as an educator. This would mark my tenth year, working at Queen’s Royal College teaching Arts and Design. They also looked at some of the voluntary work that I did outside of educating in QRC. I worked with St. Jude’s in 2015 which was the same year of my exhibition. They called me to do art therapy sessions with them. I decided to use and share some of my processes with the girls and then do some classes. I spent a week there, doing work with them and I called it Heart Therapy. Melvina (Hazard, ttff’s community development director) saw some of the work that I did with the girls and she connected with it and wanted to feature that as part of the trinidad+ tobago film festival. I know that ttff is very much into community based projects so they decided to adopt the St. Jude’s Heart Therapy Project as one of their community based projects.

Xavier: What inspired you to take on this project?

Sabrina: Well to be quite frank, I know what it feels like to have a lot to say and to not have an outlet. Well, I don’t know what that’s like because I have an outlet. However, I know what it feels like to have nobody on your side. It’s that feeling of being alone with a million people around you and you just don’t care anymore. The St. Jude’s project, I was able to work with the girls which was refreshing too because I work with boys on a daily basis. It was refreshing to work with girls because girls are totally different when it comes to dealing with problems and acting out when they are not heard. We’re always trying to keep up with our own emotions far less for dealing with other issues that nobody wants to hear us out for. I felt grounded in a way to have the responsibility to teach 13 girls. You can see there’s something that they wanted to say and you want to help them get it out on paper. So I connected with that.

Portraits, The Girls of St. Jude’s (2018)

Xavier: Why did you decide to focus on self awareness as the theme for the projects?

Sabrina: To me, self-awareness is so many different things. I know that the psychologists have their own meaning. To me to be self aware, is to have an outer body experience and to look at yourself objectively in a situation. I realized that a lot of the girls I worked with, made decisions irrationally. I wanted them to learn to slow down and that is one of the beautiful things about working with painting or in the arts. It’s about being conscious of your surroundings, your materials and your audience. You know I realized that even with myself, I was very reactive and the girls reminded me of a reactive part of myself. I felt like if I can make them express that through the work, then they would become more aware of how they react. So, this was all part of my intention to make them aware of how they behave and their thought processes in getting things done and following instructions like drawing a line from point A to Point B.

Xavier: What do you hope to achieve working with the girls at St Jude’s?

Sabrina: If there is one thing I learnt from my show in 2015, is that you need to make the trauma materialize. The memory is still there, but it’s outside. A lot of the energy I felt with those girls was a distinct heaviness, a weight, that was not making them move forward. There was an additional heaviness with self pity as well. I felt like that’s where the self awareness and confidence that I hope for them to achieve comes in. It’s always good for the girls to search and I think that’s what the visual and performing arts allows these girls to do. They can find an outlet so that they can actually feel a sense of belonging and know that they can do something and feel like they are a part of something bigger than what they are currently experiencing. It’s a bit of a release.

Xavier: What was one of your favourite pieces that the girls did for the Heart Therapy Project?

Portraits, The Girls of St. Jude’s(2015)

Sabrina: The session was made up of portraits with hearts and portraits defined by an eye. I made them do self portraits instead of drawing what they think they looked like and decided for them to use an eye. The girls were allowed to include anything they wanted in the picture, mainly something they love, something they hated and something from their immediate environment. I really liked all of their eye pieces because I recently looked at a video on YouTube. The words of a life coach stood out to me. He stated that a lot of the noise that we experience as humans, we think that it’s the noise that we hear but most of the noise that we consume are actually through what we see. He made a reference to hearing the news that a man had died and seeing a man dying are two completely different experiences. Looking back at those eye pieces that the girls made was actually the noise, that they were experiencing. The emotion was definitely there. It depicted an expression of the noise that they faced.

Eyes, The Girls of St. Jude’s (2015)

Xavier: What advice would you give to an aspiring artist?

Sabrina: Well, for me, I think the important thing is to have something to share, an opinion and knowing that those opinions are going to be made in the form of something visual. You’re not going to say it, unless you want to do performing arts, but if you want to be an artist, you have to have the courage to stand up for your opinions and really believe in what you stand for. That’s how I work. I like to have opinions and I like my work to do the talking.

The Heart Therapy Art Exhibition opens at 7pm at The LOFTT Gallery and runs until 30 September. Art produced by The Girls of St. Judes will be on sale and all proceeds will go towards the programme. Thirteen limited edition hoodies and thirteen  T-shirts featuring Sabrina’s work that inspired our festival art will be on sale at the Gallery during the exhibition. Sabina’s work will also be part of the exhibition.

By Shiv Sawh, ttff/16 Top Future Critic

One of our missions as the trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) is to be a platform for expression not only for local film makers but also by extension to writers, musicians, singers and all artistes willing to share their imaginative projects to audiences both locally and internationally.

This year the ttff is proud and excited to collaborate with one of the most talented and creative singer/songwriters to have emerged from Trinidad and Tobago, Ataklan. His song “The Sun Starts to Rise” is the featured soundtrack to our official ttff/2018 trailer which was edited by film maker Kaz Ove.

The “Sun Starts to Rise” is a powerful fusion of a Rapso (an oratory/percussion style of music that incorporates poetics, indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago and described as “de power of de word, in de riddim of de word”) and groovy Soca beats. The track flows like a river sweetly and sharply over the images of the featured films of the ttff/2018 as edited by Ove.

The song’s lyrics comment on a very difficult time in a person’s life where dismay and despair has taken over. It however urges the listener to break out of that funk, be hopeful, be positive and learn to love and overcome any obstacle. It is a very fitting tune to help celebrate our thirteenth year of the trinidad+tobago film festival and to convey this year’s theme: LOVE FILM which celebrates the transformative power of film.

Ataklan whose real name is Mark Antonio Jiminez was born and raised in Chinapoo, Morvant in north Trinidad. Surrounded by creative family members, supportive friends and a vibrant community, he was able at a young age to express himself through paintings, break dancing, writing and eventually singing.

Early in his career Ataklan caught the attention of the founder of Soca music Ras Shorty I (Garfield Blackman), who recognised his talents and offered him valuable advice. He worked closely with other local musical legends such as David Rudder, The Mighty Shadow (Winston Bailey) André Tanker and Brother Resistance (Lutalo Masimba), who all guided Ataklan along the path to finding his original and unique voice in both Rapso and Soca music. He also received mentorship from artist Leroy Clarke, poet/playwright/cultural activist Pearl Eintou Springer and from his cherished bond with entertainer extraordinaire and fellow Morvant son, Bill Trotman.

Ataklan has also collaborated with some of his fellow local musical contemporaries such as Soca singers Bunji Garlin (Ian Alvarez), Machel Montano, Terri Lyons and Jamaican singer Sizzla Kalonji (Miguel Collins). Over the last twenty years he has released three seminal albums and founded his own independent record label TAJ Records (named after his son Tyrone Anthony Jiminez).His albums include “Atanomical” (1998), “Atamorphosis” (1999), “Atavival” (2000) and the yet unreleased album titled ”One Morvant Night”. He has continually released singles throughout the years and his personal recording collection number over 300 original tracks.

Out of his love for Trinidad and Tobago, his fans and especially his hometown of Morvant (where he lives and produces his music), Ataklan has been able to grow as an artiste and spread inspirational messages of honesty, humbleness, integrity and positivity for over 25 years. He is the rarest of artistes, his music, words and concepts can simultaneously move the body while challenging the mind, and it is a true honour to collaborate with Ataklan for ttff/18 and see things in a whole new light.

Speaking to Ataklan about the collaboration with the ttff, he expressed his hope for the future of the local film industry and a mutual appreciation and respect for the opportunity to work together. He says “The success of ttff in fostering, reshaping and facilitating growth in our creative industry is undeniable. I am humbled yet honoured to be a musical collaborator on this, the thirteenth edition of what is now, an anticipated and exciting fixture in our Trinbagonian cultural landscape”.

Ataklan will be performing at the culminating event of the ttff/18 called RAPSONIC which will be the official after party to the awards ceremony of this year’s film festival. RAPSONIC will be held on September 25th at 9pm at the Residence Restaurant and Bar located at One Woodbrook Place, Port of Spain. The show will also feature performances by Gary Hector, Tim Starr, Marcus Braveboy, The Writer, DJ Merry Perry, Riddim Intl and other surprise guests.

Director Elspeth Duncan of Venus & Magnet writes about animal rights film activism

Venus as a rescue pup

Upon adopting Venus as a pup, I naturally began filming much of what she did- quite like a parent would document the stages of a child’s development. This film is a true story, created from some of that archival footage. I aimed for the feel of a bedtime storybook—with page turn transitions and a simple, nursery rhyme style to bring across deeper Universal messages.

I intend to use Venus & Magnet film (and other animal-themed films and documentaries I will be creating) not only for entertainment purposes, but also for humane education- to highlight the sentient nature of animals of all species, the importance of treating them with the love, compassion and respect they deserve, and the multiple benefits of interacting closely with them.

Director and animal activist, Elspeth Duncan with Venus and a friend

True change to animal welfare in Trinidad & Tobago will come, in part, through humane education in schools, starting with children-the future. Positive and powerful experiential examples of good animal welfare and wholesome relationships with other species need to be set for children on a repeated basis so that they can learn, grow, embed these practices into their consciousness and, in turn, hopefully influence the adults around them to be more caring and compassionate toward all creatures.

With the help of Dr. Janet Ferguson, Instructional Designer at Bermuda College, I have designed a simple curriculum for the Venus & Magnet film. I believe that children can learn a lot from exploring elements of this film and relate it back to their own lives and relationships.

Venus and Magnet marked the beginning of my animal rescue work in Tobago. After rescuing Magnet, various animals in need ended up coming to me-dogs, cats, laughing gulls, doves, mot mots, bats and even a pelican. Venus welcomed and helped to nurture all of them, just as she had done with Magnet. I used to post photos of Venus and the various rescued animals on my personal Facebook page and people would say: “Venus needs her own Facebook page!”

I subsequently started the Venus Doggess Of Love (VDL) Facebook page, posting daily photos, videos and written anecdotes of Venus and rescues. The page became a hub for information and stories on our rescue/rehabilitation/rehoming of stray, neglected (and sometimes wild) Tobago animals.

VDL attracts local and international followers who, via the stories and images, develop online emotional connections with the featured animals. As a result, many animals have been adopted to great homes in the USA, UK and Europe, some to Trinidad and a few in Tobago. House checks are done on all homes to ensure that the animals will be safe, cared for and, ultimately, treated as valued members of the family.

On occasion, Venus’s fans make case-specific donations which help with vet treatment, spaying/neutering, food, sometimes travel related expenses for dogs adopted abroad and any other costs incurred in the relieving of rescued animals’ suffering.

Venus Doggess Of Love’s motto-Love Changes Lives- sums up what this rescue initiative is about. By extending love and compassion to alleviate the suffering of animals in need, not only are their lives changed, but so are ours.

Venus & Magnet is in competition for the ttff/18 TT Short Film

Images courtesy Venus Doggess Of Love 

Grundlos Kollektiv (founded by Johanna Nahous) is a platform for progressive minds of any field or discipline, who are passionate about introducing new ideas, concepts and perspectives – being socially or politically influential with their art form, whatever it may be.  Currently managed by Culturego Magazine, Grundlos Kollektiv is an inviting, enabling and flexible open-plan space in the center of Port of Spain. It is a home for a community of minds – different and alike – to create (Art exhibitions, film screenings, fashion shows, discussions, educational talks, yoga classes, social events) and to share their work with a diverse audience.

ttff has partnered with Grundlos Kollektiv to present:

Special events at Grundlos Kollektiv @ttff/18

Thursday 20 September, 7pm – 10pm/ART FILM curated by Culturego Magazine / free event 

Films with Art. Film as Art. Art as film. Culturego Magazine presents a selection of short films from Caribbean filmmakers and visual artists: Dean Arlen (Trinidad and Tobago), Di – Andre Caprice (Jamaica),  Ada M. Patterson (Barbados), Volney Smith (Barbados) and Rodell Warner (Trinidad and Tobago).  Dean Arlen and Di -Andre Caprice will also be present for a Q+A session with the audience. DJ L Bee will close off the evening with his Funky Lounge.Film Still from Yuh Too Sweet

ART FILMS

East Waves, by Di- Andre Caprice, Jamaica

Anima Regalias by Rodell Warner, Trinidad and Tobago

Fragmentz by Volney Smith, Barbados

Sensing Travel by Dean Arlen, Trinidad and Tobago

Yuh too Sweet by Ada M. Patterson, Barbados

Saturday 22 September, 8.30pm – 10pm/The FUTURE is FEMALE. (in partnership with Women. Everywhere.) /free event

Film still from Brown Girl Begins

Meet and Greet with Sharon Lewis, Director – Brown Girl Begins (2017). Rooted in Caribbean folklore, Brown Girl Begins is the first ever Caribbean Sci-Fi film to be made, the protagonist is female and she is of Caribbean descent. Adeline Gregoire (Director – Women. Everywhere.) talks to Sharon Lewis about Afro-futurism, empowerment and a future which represents the true diversity of women.

RSVP: info.womeneverywhere@gmail.com

Sunday 23 September, 3 – 7pm – free event/Activism Day/free event

3pm: Screening of  The Reel Human Rights films + Panel Discussion,  sponsored by the High Commission for Canada

I Choose You – directed by Siobhan Millette

Please See Attached – directed Andrei Pierre

Judgment Day – directed by Francesca Hawkins

The filmmakers and activists from the LQBTQIA community will be present for the Panel Discussion; as well as the Canadian High Commissioner,  Her Excellency Carla Hogan Rufelds.

4:30pm: Staging the Revolution 

Join us for two very special panels dedicated to the LGBTQIA community and hman rights; then, Rhonda Chan Soo takes a fresh look at social activism in Trinidad and Tobago today, led by Girl Be Heard TT and The 2 Cents Movement. From the idea of change, to the mind bomb, to the whistle blowers, to activists tirelessly doing the work: It takes a revolution – however small – to change the world.

The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) celebrates films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as from world cinema, through an annual festival and year-round screenings. In addition, the ttff seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering a wide-ranging industry programme and networking opportunities. The ttff is given leading sponsorship by BP Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts; supporting sponsorship by The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago and Republic Bank Limited; and contributing sponsorship by FilmTT and The National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB).

We continue the second of a series of reviews of ttff/18 films by our VCTT Volunteer Feature Writer Nickisha McClean Parris. Look out for more from our other VCTT Volunteer Feature Writers in this space.

Each year since it’s inception in 2006, the trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) has been consciously highlighting human rights through films, panels and presentations. On Sunday, September 23, ttff will partner with Grundlos Kollektiv to present  Activism Day, dedicated to discussions and screenings related to LGBQTI, gender, domestic and social issues.

Participants of the 2017 Workshop

The first of these Activism Day events will be the Reel Human Rights Films Screening and Panel Discussion at 3pm. This is the culmination of a two year training programme sponsored by the High Commission for Canada. The three film projects chosen were all co-incidentally based on LGBQTIA issues. 

The Reel Human Rights Films

Workshop Participants 2017

Francesca Hawkins

Judgement Day /Documentary Short/Director Francesca Hawkins

In 2017, Jason Jones, a human rights activist sued the state over colonial-era laws that criminalise sexual relations between consenting adults of the same sex. Judgement day is a short documentary that follows emotive events on the day of Justice Devindra Rampersad’s landmark ruling in the legal case, Jason Jones v The Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago. April 12, 2018, was D-Day for Jason, the LGBTQIA coalition and the supporters of these laws gather outside the Hall of Justice in Port-of-Spain to await the judgment.

Director’s Bio: Francesca Hawkins works in television news and audiovisual production. She studied film at UWI St Augustine and worked on Seige, the student documentary about hostages held at TTT during 1990’s attempted coup in Trinidad and Tobago, winner of the ttff/09 People’s Choice Award.

Siobhan Millette

I Choose You/Narrative Short/Director Siobhan Millette

Seven-year-old Taylor is a child of divorced parents once living comfortably between their two homes. A breakdown in the dynamics of the relationship between his parents results in Taylor now being tasked with choosing the household he wants to live in permanently; a monumental responsibility for such a young child.

Director’s Bio: I Choose You is Siobhan Milette’s sophomore short film . Her many filmmaking attributes including Directing, Producing and Writing.

Andrei Pierre with DP Dominic Koo on set

Please See Attached /Narrative Short/Director Andrei Pierre

Young and noble Maurice is a Shoe-in to be St. Lucille’s next Vice Principal, however, when the school board steps in to make changes, his alliances come into question and he’s left to make some bold decisions. The film is meant to be a conversation piece; a door opening on little mentioned issues of civil injustice and basic human dignity; of what real friendship means, and the hypocrisy of the well-intentioned and also funny.

Director’s Bio: Andrei Pierre graduated from the University of the West Indies in 2015 with a BA in Film Production and one in Communication Studies. He is a head writer and content developer on video campaigns for a local social media firm. Bringing drama to the screen is his life’s purpose.

All three filmmakers and activists from the LQBTQ community will be present as well as the Canadian High Commissioner,Her Excellency Carla Hogan Rufelds for a panel discussion.

The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) celebrates films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as from world cinema, through an annual festival and year-round screenings. In addition, the ttff seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering a wide-ranging industry programme and networking opportunities. The ttff is given leading sponsorship by BP Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts; supporting sponsorship by The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago and Republic Bank Limited; and contributing sponsorship byFilmTT and The National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB).