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.





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