Antiguan Film to Have its Canadian Premiere at Commffest Film and Arts Festival

By Neil Armstrong

Photo credit: Alastair Fyfe       Mitzi Allen and Howard Allen of HaMafilms Antigua whose feature film, Deep Blue, will have its Canadian premiere at Commffest, a global film and arts festival in Toronto, on September 16, 2023.

When the film Deep Blue premieres in Toronto in mid-September, its creators want it to spark a conversation about climate change and the environment.

Already launched in Antigua and Barbuda, and New York, the 90-minute film will be featured at the 18^th annual Commffest, a global community film and arts festival that brings communities together for social empowerment, on September 16 at the 500-seat St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.

Created by Antiguan-Canadian husband and wife team Howard and Mitzi Allen, the film is about the clash between a marine biologist helping the residents of a small fishing village preserve their way of life and a resort developer wanting to build on their land. 

 

Speaking on the phone from Antigua, Mitzi and Howard say they wanted to tell that story because of what is happening in the world today.

 

“We’ve experienced it, firsthand, within the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that climate change is a major factor that is affecting our lives whether you want to believe in climate change or not,” says Mitzi who believes that while most Caribbean people are directly affected by it, they don’t realize that there is a deeper meaning to what they are experiencing economically and how it is affecting their way of life. 

 

She wants people to be aware of the things they have around them that they need to preserve.

 

SIDS are islands of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans that are vulnerable to environmental challenges, such as climate change, and generally small in size. They were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries in June 1992, at the UN Conference on Environment and Development.

 

Howard thinks most Caribbean people, including him, do not understand enough about how environmental ecosystems work and how important things like coral reefs and mangroves impact their everyday life.

 

“That’s something I learnt from doing a series of environmental documentaries and that really was the impetus for writing this screen play,” he says, referencing the significance of mangroves to the environment and fish although the trees or shrubs look like bush. 

 

The writer and director says in writing the screenplay he was trying to get some of that information to the public in a way that was easier to consume than in a documentary that can be heavy on information.

 

“I think this film presented some of that information in a more entertaining way. It makes the information easier to consume.”

 

The couple’s interest in the environment was sparked over a period of 15 years when their company, HaMafilms Antigua, produced several documentaries for the environmental division in Antigua and Barbuda that were internationally funded. 

 

Music has always been an integral part of their film production, says Howard, noting that he grew up listening to a lot of calypsos, reggae and Caribbean music that, for the most part, always had a strong story element. For him, music is not included in the film as a background to a scene but the songs are deliberately chosen and are integral to complementing a scene. 

 

The filmmakers said the film was made on a shoestring budget in Hollywood terms. “In Hollywood terms, $10million is a low budget film and this is in no way $10million,” says Howard acknowledging that although they spent more than they did on their first film, The Sweetest Mango, it is still a shoestring budget and they are working with meagre resources. But part of their Caribbean reality is being resourceful, “finding ways to make the little that you have work for you and I think we have become almost experts at that.”

 

The screenwriting process for Deep Blue started in 2012 and production in 2019, but everything was soon interrupted by the pandemic. Some of the entities that they were relying on for funding became stretched financially which hampered their ability to raise the funds they wanted for the film.

 

Undeterred and driven by their philosophy that once they start a project they are going to complete it, the couple found ways during the pandemic to persevere and finish it. “We are really quite happy with what we were able to do,” says Howard.

 

The film and television director/producer says Antigua and Barbuda does not have a film industry but instead has a film culture in which there are budding filmmakers and people who have an interest in filmmaking. “There isn’t a structure in place that truly supports what we’ve done and are doing.” 

 

Part of how they get their work done is to collaborate with other filmmakers and filmmakers in the region and in Canada, and anywhere in the world they can find people who are likeminded and believe in what they are doing and want to support them.

 

“This has come about when we tour with our work to conferences and film festivals. They are always amazed with what we are able to accomplish with our limited resources and they want to come on board and do things,” says Mitzi, executive producer of Deep Blue, noting that it is the work of their production company that brings actors and other professionals to them.

 

Their earlier films, The Sweetest Mango, a love-story loosely based on how they met and produced more than 22 years ago, and The Skin, based on Caribbean mythology, premiered at the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival.

 

Although their films have been shown before in Toronto, Mitzi says what is different with Deep Blue is that it is coming to a much larger venue, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, and they are looking forward to having a capacity audience.

 

As the producer, Mitzi says the film is their most ambitious project, with many collaborations — from Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Maurice Gregory, formerly of Third World, writing the theme song “Beautiful,” to Antigua and Barbuda’s reggae artist ambassador, Causion, who has music in it and is in the film. Both musicians will be performing at the Toronto premiere of the film.

 

“We have seasoned professional actors, Canadians who have lent their talent to the film because before we would draw from our local talent at home. Well, in The Skin, we have Carl Bradshaw out of Jamaica who was excellent in his role. But for Deep Blue, it is really in every sense of the word an international and Caribbean collaboration.”

 

Canadian actors Peter Williams and Kim Huffman star in the film and are accompanied by a roster of international talent including Canadian-Guyanese actor Ryan Singh, British actor Tom Durant Pritchard (of Netflix’s The Crown and biopic Judy), Antiguan-British actress Julie Hewlett (The Sweetest Mango), and Canadian-Trinidadian actress Rhoma Spencer. 

Photo credit: Ryan Singh    Shooting on location at Urlings Fishing Complex in Antigua will actors Nevil Nichols (Antiguan) and Kim Huffman (Canadian).

 

Mitzi’s and Howard’s first film, The Sweetest Mango, became Antigua and Barbuda’s first locally produced feature film and the first indigenous film for the Eastern Caribbean. It has become an iconic film that is still being screened after appearing at several film festivals in North America and the Caribbean and made its world-television premiere on Caribvision in via DirecTV. It is now archived at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Bell Lightbox Reference Library.

Mitzi’s career began as a broadcast journalist for CFTO TV (CTV Canada) as a reporter and continued in Antigua & Barbuda with various media organizations before she joined her husband Howard as co-owner of HAMA Productions, an independent film and television production company founded in 1992. Howard’scareer in television spans more than 30 years but he made his feature film directorial debut in 2001 with the release of The Sweetest Mango.

At one point, Mitzi was Howard’s boss when she worked as a news and production manager in Antigua. She says when they started their company both brought different skills to the table that allowed for great collaboration.

 

“We have been able to separate the business from the marriage in the sense that we’re really professionals when it comes to what we want to see and the deadlines that we have to meet and so on. And Howard is very creative in the story he wants to tell, and I may have to pull him back a little bit and say where’s the money going to come for that? We have been able to do it, we started out as really good friends.” 

 

She says they share the same vision and passion for their work as they do for themselves as a couple. “That has really pushed us through because we’re both on the same page, in terms of what we want to accomplish with our company, with our storytelling, with our films and we’re both on the same page when it comes to our relationship and what we enjoy doing together as a couple.” Mitzi and Howard are with each other 24/7 on set and off the set.

 

Howard says although he is very creative he is also technically trained, and in terms of working together, they respect each other’s role.

 

So why should Canadians attend the premiere of the film?

 

“I want the audience to feel immersed in Caribbean culture and also learn about the complexities of conservation and development because it’s not really a simple issue. As individuals we need to appreciate what we have so that we can protect it,” says Howard.

 

“I expect them to experience a very thought-provoking film that also entertains them,” says Mitzi, while sharing a comment from a woman who saw it and was emotionally moved. “She came out of the film all in her feelings; she was upset about so many things and it ranged from morality to class privilege. She felt differently leaving.

 

“I think you’re going to come away moved because it’s a mirror on society and people will see themselves reflected, so the way you feel after you see Deep Blue is going to say a lot about you as an individual and it’s going to spark discussion.” 

 

When the film was shown in Antigua and Barbuda, because its story resonated so much with what is happening in Barbuda many people thought it was about them but it is not, says Mitzi.

 

“It’s happening in many Small Island Developing States but we all think we’re isolated,” she says before Howard chimes in: “We do want the audience to take ownership of elements of the story that are relevant to them.”

 

Mitzi and Howard wanted Deep Blue to come out during the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) hosted in Glasgow in late 2021, however, that was not possible because of the pandemic.

 

On September 16, 7:30 p.m. at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Canadian lovers of film will have an opportunity to see it, participate in a Q&A with both filmmakers, and enjoy the live performances of Causion and Maurice Gregory. Tickets are available at the Commffest website. The festival runs from September 14-22.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Julius Garvey Reflects on His Father Marcus Garvey’s Life and Work

 

By Neil Armstrong

Photo credit: City of Toronto     Left to right: Chase Garvey-Daniel, Dr. Julius Garvey and Aina-Nia Ayo'dele at the North York Central Library

 

When Dr. Julius Garvey appeared at various events earlier in August, Emancipation Month, his presence reminded many of the rich legacy of his father, Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), and his words were like a balm to receptive audiences throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

 

With his grandson, Chase Garvey-Daniels, in tow, Dr. Garvey, who celebrates his 90th birthday today, ADrugust 16 — one day before the 136th anniversary of his father’s birthday (August 17) — affirmed many of the things his father said to uplift people of African descent worldwide during his lifetime.

 

Speaking at the North York Central Library on August 4, 2023, in a conversation with spiritual liberation activist and ancient wisdom teacher, Aina-Nia Ayo’dele, after participating in the raising of the Black Liberation Flag at Mel Lastman Square, he encouraged those gathered to know who they are as a people.

 

Dr. Garvey, a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon and human rights activist, noted that although he was born in Jamaica in 1933 wherever he travels in the world he does so as an African, given the tenets taught to him and his older brother, now deceased, by their strong Garveyite parents — mother, Amy Jacques Garvey, and father, Marcus Garvey.

 

“Knowledge is key, knowledge is everywhere; you just have to go out and find it,” he said, noting that, “We are the first people, first civilized people and we civilized the world.”

 

He emphasized that Africa is a wonderful place that has been giving to the world over time, and that it is great to be African.

 

Dr. Garvey said many people have denigrated Marcus Garvey but there is value in many things his father said such as “character is your most important possession.”

“Being African is not just a word, geography, and history; it goes back to the beginning of civilization. Our ancestors understood what it meant to be fully human.”

 

In responding to a question from the audience, he said, “The greatest power in the world is to be your true self continuously.”

Photo credit: City of Toronto       Dr. Julius Garvey

 

The event was organized by the City of Toronto’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism (CABR) Unit in partnership with the Global African Communities Network (GACN), Afro-Caribbean Farmers’ Market, and the Network for the Advancement of Black Communities (NABC). 

 

The Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit has partnered with Black Owned Toronto to culminate Emancipation Month with the Freedom Market to celebrate and support of Black entrepreneurialism and economics. The market, which will be held on August 26, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., will include Black-owned businesses, artisans, food, entertainment, and more at Fort York National Historic Site, 250 Fort York Boulevard.

 

“Emancipation Month recognizes the struggle for human rights and the rich contributions made by peoples of African descent. Recognizing Emancipation Month in August acknowledges an abhorrent period in our history and our ongoing commitment to eliminate discrimination in all forms. August 1, 1834 marks the day that the Slavery Abolition Act, 1833 came into effect emancipating more than 800,000 enslaved Africans across the British Empire, including Canada. Here in Toronto, we recognize the entire month of August as Emancipation Month and celebrate the rich contributions that peoples of African descent have made to our city and country,” notes the City of Toronto.

Left to right: Kemba Byam, acting manger of the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit, City of Toronto; former manager of the Unit, Anthony Morgan; and its first manager Aina-Nia Ayo'dele

Valarie Steele, past president of the Jamaican Canadian Association, and Debbie Douglas, executive director the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Garvey participated in another flag raising event in Brampton, Ontario where he was presented with the Emancipation proclamation alongside Marjorie Taylor, Brampton’s 2015 Citizen of the Year — an acknowledgement of her significant contribution to the community through her more than 20 years of volunteerism in several local organizations. She is also an active volunteer of the United Achievers’ Club of Brampton and a past president of the Kiwanis Club of Brampton.

Photo contributed       Marjorie Taylor

 

“We celebrate the officially designated day of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 which ended slavery in the British Empire on August 1, 1834, which “laid a pathway to freeing over 800,000 enslaved Africans and their descendants in parts of the Caribbean, Africa, South America as well as Canada,” said Taylor.   

 

“However, we are to be reminded that not all slaves were given their freedom in 1834.  For example, in Jamaica (land on my birth), it was not fully in effect until August 1, 1838. We are here not only to mark this significant date of emancipation, but to give thanks and appreciation to those ancestors such as Jamaican hero Marcus Mosiah Garvey (August 17, 1887 to June 10, 1940) who was a Jamaican political activist and the founder and first President-General of the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League) in 1914 and influenced a generation of civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and, of course, Bob Marley.

 

 “It is written that it was Marcus Garvey’s speech delivered in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1937 that inspired Bob Marley to write his worldwide popular song “Redemption Song” and I quote:

 

"We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery … none but ourselves can free the mind." – Marcus Garvey, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, 1937. 

 

“Another familiar and very important quote [in my opinion] of Marcus Garvey is this: “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture are like a tree without roots.”  

 

“To me, these words ring true today, and it behooves us all to learn from our past so we can help to change positively and effectively the present and the future for generations to come. We still have a long way to go, the fight is long, and I know (regrettably) that anti-Black and systemic racism will not be dismantled in my lifetime, but I encourage each one of you to continue in the struggle because we have hope in those [including special guest Dr. Julius Garvey, folks such as Dr. Jean Augustine, Zanana Akande, the late Bev Salmon and so many others] who paved the way for us and those who are continuing to do so.  But we all — you and I — can make a difference for “united we stand – divided we fall”.  Let’s shine a light upon the darkness that still exists and continue to impede progress.”

 

In Toronto, Rastafest Canada marks its 30th anniversary from August 17 to 20, and will kick off the events by celebrating Marcus Garvey in Little Jamaica, and end with a boat cruise. It is also the 43rd anniversary of Masani Productions founded by Masani Montague. Rastafest is Canada’s largest celebration of Rastafari heritage and culture.

The chair Marcus Garvey used whenever he visited Toronto at the UNIA Hall, 355 College St. in Toronto. It is now housed in the board room of the Jamaican Canadian Association.

A tile from the foundation of the UNIA Hall at 355 College St. with the inscription of the UNIA is temporarily being housed at Blackhurst Cultural Centre in Toronto

 

Justice Aston Hall lauds the Jamaican Canadian Association

 

By Neil Armstrong

Photo credit: Sophia Findlay     Left to right: Arlene Amitirigala, Justice Aston Hall, and Dr. Sylvanus Thompson at Jamaica's Independence & JCA's Anniversary Gala on August 12, 2023 at the Jamaican Canadian Community Centre

 

Justice Aston Hall has praised the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA) for throughout his career being a moral support and a community building organization that focuses on learning and creating what he called fulfilling relationships.

 

“And like home, a place where I’m reminded to be humble and to work hard,” said the Associate Chief Justice, Ontario Court of Justice, who was the keynote speaker at Jamaica’s Independence and Jamaican Canadian Association’s Gala at the Jamaican Canadian Community Centre on August 12, 2023. The night’s theme was “61 Proud and Strong: A Journey of Resilience and Perseverance.”

 

Quoting the late African American poet, author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, Justice Hall said he was blessed to grow up in Jamaica in a home — “the safe place where we can go, where we can be and not be questioned” — and further blessed to find a community of people like the JCA who offered him the feeling of home. “Of unquestioned acceptance for who I am, and who share in the belief of the worthiness of my professional dreams.”

 

Hall remembered when he came to the JCA in those cold, dark winters, when the organization was the only place on Dupont Street where he could feel some degree of comfort because it was lonely.

 

He thanked the organization for providing a home for many Jamaicans who migrated to the Greater Toronto Area.

 

“I must remind you I came out of a single-parent home raised by, I venture to say the typical Jamaican experience, a grandmother. A grandmother that put everything aside to make sure that I had an education, a grandmother that provided a home that was filled with love despite the fact that we were poor. We didn’t even know it because of the joy that she gave us.”

 

The judge said his grandmother’s grace and determination raised his sights beyond their modest life in Jamaica — “modest is code for poor.” She modelled the kindness and showed him the power of generosity, the determination that showed the value of hard work, and a fair optimism that instilled the belief in the nobility of community service.

 

“She taught me that from humble beginnings can come very high expectations,” said Hall, noting that it was from small beginnings and supportive community that his dreams took a hold in Jamaica.

 

Justice Hall was called to the Bar in 1995 and from then to 2002, was a sole practitioner exclusively in the field of criminal law. He became a senior partner at Hall & Vaughan in 2002 and then opened his own law firm, Aston J. Hall and Associate, in 2009.

 

Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Justice Hall immigrated to Canada in 1983. He studied law at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, where he served as the president of the Black Law Students Association and the Black Law Students’ Association of Canada. In 2008, he earned a Master of Laws degree focused on criminal law and procedure, also from Osgoode Hall Law School.

 

Justice Hall has been a director of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, Toronto, since 2009 and has been a member of the Strategic Planning Committee for the Jamaican Canadian Association.

 

Throughout his career, the associate chief justice has been a champion for diversity as a member of numerous judicial committees that have played roles in the creation of a specialized court for Indigenous people and the development of programs for Black History Month to celebrate diversity and the contributions of African Canadians in the development of Canada.

 

Noting that Jamaicans have been in Canada since the 1700s, he said Jamaicans have been making contributions to Canada since then and he singled out the contributions of people like the late Bromley Armstrong, Eva Smith, Stanley Grizzle, and Amy Nelson, now 102 years old, and included the late Barbadian Donald Moore.

 

He also paid tribute to the Sleeping Car Porters and their families who were the powerhouse behind creating strong Black communities and demanded and achieved significant legal and social changes in Canada. Sleeping car porter jobs were the only ones available to Black people in the country, he said.

 

Justice Hall also mentioned the later arrival of domestic workers from the Caribbean that made it possible for many to gain opportunities to come to Canada.

 

“These two historical events changed Canada for the better. Those people and countless others struggled to change the immigration system to make this place hospitable to us. They laid the path that led us here. Before their work there were hostile immigration policies that prevented us from living permanently and making this our home.”

 

The associate chief justice said Jamaica has given the world a rich tradition of leaders in many fields and that Jamaicans are major contributors to the fabric of Canada.

Left to right: Anthony Joseph, publisher of Caribbean Camera; Jill Andrew, MPP of Toronto—St. Paul's; Jamaal Myers, councillor, Scarborough North; and David Betty, president of the Jamaican Canadian Association

 

 “Like Jamaica, the Jamaican Canadian Association remains proud and strong for 61 years due to the resilience and perseverance of its members and supporters. We are very grateful for this as we continue to serve the community," said Michelle McKenzie-Dolly and Dr. Sylvanus Thompson, co-chairs of the JCA’s Independence Gala Committee.

The annual award recipients this year were Benito Palomino for the president’s award; Dr. Sylvanus Thompson for the community service – individual; The Walnut Foundation for the community service – organization; Herrol Mattocks, outstanding volunteer of the year; Anthony Scott, outstanding volunteer of the year; Camille Hannays-King and Ellen Wynter, lifetime achievement; Dean Parker, Sharon Wynter-Bowen and Glenford Gordon, 25 years of continuous membership service; and Ismay Murray and Desmond Marrett, 50 years of continuous membership service.

 

“This year’s recipients for the community award are individuals who are committed to steadily growing a community focused on excellence. Volunteers continue to drive the success of our organization and we recognize those that have gone above and beyond this year as well as those that have dedicated years in service to the JCA,” said the organization in a media release.

 

The diamond jubilee recognition awards were presented to Miah Bailey, Alton Telfer, Gifford Walker, and Karl Fuller.

 

Among those who brought greetings to the gala were Sharon Miller, Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Canada, whose term of office comes to an end; Mayor Olivia Chow; Leslyn Lewis, MP for Haldimand – Norfolk, who ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada; Judy Sgro, MP for Humber River – Black Creek; and Jill Andrew, MPP for Toronto— St. Paul’s.

Mayor Olivia Chow brings greetings to the gala

Lolleta Cunningham, Eddie Grant, and Sophia Findlay

Roy Williams, first president of the JCA; Herman Stewart, past president of the JCA; and Jamaal Myers, councillor for Scarborough North, City of Toronto

Jill Andrew, MPP for Toronto—St. Paul's and Audrey Campbell, past president of the Jamaican Canadian Association

 

The performers included 9-year-old Eliana Sinclair, Tony Anthony, Elite Dancers, and the all-female Rayzalution Band. DJ Funky Muzik provided the music and the Art of Catering provided the sumptuous cuisine curated by Chef Selwyn.

 

The host of the event, which included the participation of JCA president David Betty, past presidents Adaoma Patterson, Audrey Campbell and Roy Williams, Barbara Thomas, Dr. Sylvanus Thompson, and JCA vice president Michelle McKenzie-Dolly, was Arlene Amitirigala.

CaribbeanTales International Film Festival Focuses on Climate Change

By Neil Armstrong

Jael Joseph's film, Territory, shares the story of the Kalinago People of Dominica

The annual CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF) will celebrate its 18th anniversary under the theme “Eco Survivors” which takes patrons “on a journey through urgent narratives on climate change, along with a multitude of diverse stories from the Caribbean and African diaspora.”

Diana Webley, director of the festival, says a common thread throughout all the stories is how the Caribbean is doing, in terms of climate change, and what people are doing to rebuild their islands.

Denise Herrera Jackson, a member of the board of directors of CTFF, says she remembers a group of them 18 years ago sitting in Frances-Anne’s home — Rita Cox, Frances-Anne and her mother, and two other friends — envisioning what the festival would look like.

She said the opening film will show the diversity of the Caribbean — “The diversity not only of how we look but how we talk, French, Spanish, Papiamento, Portuguese and English.” All of these, she said, are important in bringing us all together.

“It’s 18 years, any birth date that says 18 is an important one,” said Jean Augustine, another board member, alluding to that number as a milestone. “And so in the birth of CaribbeanTales, 18 years is not to be sneezed at, it is to be celebrated, it is to be complimented. And not only in terms of those who over the years have watched Frances-Anne, her board, and the organization grow from something almost like a small seed and then see it blossom, see it grow.”

Describing it as an annual presentation of Caribbean people’s stories, Augustine said she has always been very interested in the way in which CaribbeanTales develops and is known internationally and in every sphere of endeavour. 

“Let’s look forward to the wealth and breadth of the films that will be shown to us so let’s get out there, let’s support something that we could leave and have as a legacy of our presence in the world of film and filmmaking.”

Webley revealed that on September 9, Augustine will celebrate her birthday at the Harbourfront Centre and they will be launching the Jean Augustine Award which will be presented to Trinidadian calypso saxophonist Roy Cape.

Denise Herrera Jackson speaks at the media launch of the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival

Jean Augustine speaking at the media launch of the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival at Blackhurst Cultural Centre on August 8, 2023.

Jael Joseph, a filmmaker from Dominica, will debut her film, Territory, at the festival. “It discusses a few issues within the Kalinago Territory, specifically the issues of political alignments, land, and language lost, and all of those different things.”

The 24-minute film features three main characters: Annette, a politician, senator and a nurse; Natasha who is an entrepreneur; and a tech-savvy man who single handedly established the internet in the territory. Natasha studied tourism and opened a restaurant which she intends to use to help people relearn the Kalinago language because most of their language is practically lost. 

“First of all, capturing the story of the Kalinago People is very important to me. I’m getting emotional, my great grandmother was Kalinago and she was very instrumental in me learning the Creole language. From a young child, I learnt Creole which was not really spoken in my household because my parents spoke English. But they would speak Creole when they would try to talk about you or talk about things that they didn’t want you to understand. My great grandmother only spoke Creole so she was very instrumental in my upbringing and my appreciation for the Kalinago People.”

Joseph said he is appreciative of the Kalinago People allowing her into their space to share their stories. This is a master’s project and it has become something even more because the festival has received it in a very special way, she said. 

The film is different, she said, because a lot of their stories have been told from a perspective of tourism — “almost like a publicity stunt” — whereas with this story it shares their struggles, said Joseph. “It’s not all the pretty things you see in newspapers or magazines, or even on the internet because they are used a lot to market the island of Dominica, but in that regard the film focuses more on their journeys and the different hardships they face within their community. 

A Pile of Dirt, directed by Rhoma Spencer and produced by Janis Mayers will be featured on September 7 at the Harbourfront Centre. The 15-minute short docu-film unearths a Regent Park of the past through the eyes of a new resident and the romanticism of a former resident. “What lies below the mounds of earth everywhere as old buildings are torn down for the new. The more things change, the more some remain the same.”

Diana Webley, director of CaribbeanTales International Film Festival, and Itah Sadu, managing director of Blackhurst Cultural Centre

Michelle Muir, poet and emcee, and Itah Sadu

Sophia Findlay, journalist, and Ross Cadastre, president of the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA)

The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival runs from September 6-22 in Toronto and online. For more information, check caribbeantalesfestival.com.