Migrant children playing the violin - Timehri Film Festival 2020

Still from Nearest Neighbours (L), Still from Yves & Variation (R)







The girl plays a slow tune on her violin in the film Nearest Neighbours. She is from Venezuela, migrated to Trinidad & Tobago and living in an uncertain place. She probably brought her violin with her. In the film Yves & Variation,  a young girl shows her sister how to play the violin. Their father, Yves, from Haiti, teaches them. They live in the USA.

The Timehri Film Festival 2020 is online via Youtube and Facebook Live.
 A woman asked 'why so many documentaries' and one of the festival founders said this is what the film makers are making. Maybe some Caribbean true stories are better than fiction... I don't know that I have ever heard of the violin featuring in any stories real or otherwise of migration in the Caribbean.

The 'Guyana' films screened on the opening feature one film shot in Guyana and three others created through the Guyanese diaspora. They are not yet Grown has some slow, close shots of life in Surama village experienced by women.  Measure is a beautiful film about a boy missing school. Poems has some beautiful shots of Jamaica. (I did not see Mr Jane & Finch)

The associated 592 48 Hr Film Challenge featured some fascinating short films made in Guyana - with some stories inspired by Covid 19.

The Green Screen films on 5 June, 2020 showed resilience in the Caribbean.

"Hidden Figures" is one of two films about the Suriname Maroon peoples in the festival. A sad film in that Papa Amoksi wants to pass on his spiritual knowledge but his son is not interested. He might write a booklet he says, and leave with his daughter. 


What connects the United States Navy and the Nigerian Army? They have both onnected with Trinidad steel pan in their history. The steel pan story from the pan yards of Trinidad to the pan yard in Japan is told beautiful in Panomundo.

The films were shot in different countries - Haiti, Suriname, Dominica, USA, UK, Mexico, USA, Guadelope, Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Canada and the Dominican Republic.

So in social distance, we get to see the films, enjoy them.  I realise that I am typing comments as I watch and that I should hold back - it would be kind of sitting in the audience and throwing remarks. I miss the post-film discussions. The discussions sometimes encourage a second viewing of some of the films to see new things.

The festival concludes on 7 June 2020 The films will be available for 24 hours on the Timehri Film Festival website from 8 June, 2020.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Turpentine mango madness

Image
Some of the mango was stuck on the stubble around my mouth. I looked at the mirror, a bit of shame because I had just collected an invitation from a well dressed guy and I wonder how I must have looked to him.. look at dis big man .. he cyan eat mango good . Thing is.. wiping off mango from stubble is difficult.. and the casual swipe with a hand which might have some juice is also useless. The turpentine mango is useless when it is green - it tastes awful, like turpentine.  Mother Nature works a miracle because the ripe one though, is sweet, juicy, no strings and no turpentine taste. And the colours on the skins are bright yellow/orange/pink/purple/red shades that are probably meant to draw all species of mango lovers. The trouble with turpentine is that you cannot pick it green or 'turnin' ' to ripen like say how they do it with Spice mangoes.  You have to leave on the tree until there is some point.. when there is no taste of turpentine. So you look at the m...
Read more

My experience with depression - Dr Raquel Thomas-Caesar

Image
(The University of Guyana held Turkeyne & Tain Talks 2 on Monday 12 September, 2016 on Suicide Prevention . Dr Raquel Thomas-Caesar made a presentation based on her experience. This is the text of the presentation) by Raquel Thomas-Caesar I am not an expert on the issue of Suicide and Depression but this is my personal journey dealing with such issues. I have never spoken publicly about this at such a forum and I hope that it serves to help others even if only a small way- Dr Raquel Thomas-Caesar South East London,  June 9, 1995 As I sit under the tree, hidden from all eyes…I wait….to go. I wait to die. Then it hits me…OMG. I really don’t want to die. What have I done? My head is swinging, fuzzy, I can hardly walk. But I barely make it up and up the hill…I see two young black men in the distance…they come towards me, I could only imagine they thought I was on drugs..I beg for help. My Angels.  I wake up in the hospital. This was me- 21 years ago.  In a fore...
Read more

Going into the unknown at the Indigenous Heritage Exhibtion 2024

Image
 (The Moving Circle of Artists' work is presented in the 2024 Indigenous Heritage Exhibition at Castellani House until 30 September, 2024. ) There was no print catalogue available. The QR code image was around, but I did not have the technology to use the QR code even with assistance of the attendants. I hope the organisers will put labels on the work items for viewers who cannot access the QR code. I apologise to the artists whose work I reference without the proper attributions Going into the unknown Place hot and I feeling a lil jumpy despite the yoga routine earlier in the day. Some unexpected challenges which pile up and then come in to chill out in the gallery and find that I have to do guess work on the art and so. Switch my mind, thinking yeah, go into the unknown.  NO titles to guide you.  Friends on social media had shared pictures of some of the most striking pieces so there is a familiarity in a way. And a helpful attendant shows the PDF on his phone to che...
Read more