A younger lady helps put together for the Kumina ceremony in “KUMINA QUEEN.”
Photograph by Paranda Media
Curtis Caesar John, co-producer of the sequence and govt director of The Luminal Theater, says new movies representing the richness and uniqueness of Caribbean cinema make their approach to Brooklyn as The Caribbean Movie Sequence (CFS) returns to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).
Caesar John instructed Caribbean Life that the two-day movie lineup of characteristic size and brief movies explores deep household legacies and each the fun and anguish that accompany them.
Caesar John mentioned CFS February opens with “Kumina Queen” by Jamaican-American filmmaker Nyasha Laing on Friday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m.
Within the documentary, looking for religious therapeutic following the lack of her mom, Caesar John mentioned Laing travels into the center of the Jamaican countryside to analysis Kumina, a Central Africa-derived ancestral ritual rooted in tune, dance, and trance possession.
He mentioned this journey leads her to the legacy of Jamaica’s best-known Kumina queen, Imogene “Queenie” Kennedy, a priestess in post-colonial Jamaica who catapulted her African religious observe into renown.
Caesar John mentioned “Kumina Queen”’ is preceded by Haitian-French filmmaker Wilmarc Val’s “Courageous,” by which the filmmaker and his mom return to Haiti, in order that she will carry out a protracted overdue ritual in honor of her mom, who was a Vodou priestess.
On Saturday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m., Caesar John mentioned the Caribbean Movie Sequence presents the New York premiere of “Doubles,” the primary characteristic movie from award-winning Trinidadian-Canadian filmmaker Ian Harnarine.
On this narrative movie, Caesar John mentioned it’s clear to Dhani, a down-on-his-luck Trinidadian avenue meals vendor, that he must make a major change in his life.
“So, when will get a chance to develop his enterprise, he travels to Canada to get the funding cash from his estranged father,” he mentioned. “However, as a substitute, he discovers that his father’s life isn’t fairly that sturdy.”
“Doubles” is an growth of Harnarine’s 2011 widespread movie competition brief movie “Doubles with Slight Pepper,” which was executive-produced by Spike Lee, Caesar John mentioned.
“Our newest version of The Caribbean Movie Sequence is extra-special as each of our characteristic movies, along with being extraordinarily thought-provoking, are additionally directed by longtime supporters of our program,” he mentioned.
“The dynamic examinations into the positives and negatives of household legacies that Nyasha, Ian and Wilmarc have created signify what the Caribbean Movie Sequence is all about — representing the Caribbean Diaspora in completely distinctive methods,” Caesar John added.
Now in its ninth yr, he mentioned the Caribbean Movie Sequence is an ongoing program of Third Horizon, The Luminal Theater and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Talkbacks are scheduled to observe every movie. Each days of screenings happen at 7 p.m. at BAM, 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11217.
