FIRST NIGHT OF TRAVELLING CARIBBEAN FILMS WAS A SUCCESS

April 12, 2007

Night one of the first ever Traveling Caribbean Film Show went very well. That’s according to Chairperson of the Belize Coordination Committee Suzette Zaiden.

Suzette Zaiden: Chairperson of the Belize Coordination Committee

“The opening night for the first traveling Caribbean Showcase was a great success in our view. We had a least a hundred and fifty people attend which was what we were expecting and everybody enjoyed the films very much, everyone there said they would certainly come again and see more films.There are movies for everyone there are a lot of featured films, there are documentaries, there are some short films. Some films are serious some films are funny and some talk about social issues that are important to the Caribbean, issues such a migration, domestic violence, family issues.” 

Marion Ali: Love FM

“Why should people come out and look at these when they have Passions going on right in front of them in their living rooms?” 

Suzette Zaiden: Chairperson of the Belize Coordination Committee

“These images are images of ourselves, the Caribbean has nothing to do with Passions, Passions is a fantasy of a North American writer. The images that you are seeing at the Caribbean Film Showcase are stories from the Caribbean and images of people from the Caribbean, talking about issues that affect the Caribbean realities. This is our chance, many people will never travel to Trinidad and Tobago will never travel to Curacao will never be able to travel to Cuba for financial reasons and yet we still have a shared history of slavery and colonialism and these things have affected our lives as each country developed in its own way. So this showcase gives us a chance to look at what other people are doing in the Caribbean to see how similar or how divers we have actually become.” 

Zaiden says Belizeans can also relate to the films being shown.

Suzette Zaiden: Chairperson of the Belize Coordination Committee

“For example one of the films last night was called Zelica; it was a very sweet film about a young girl about ten/twelve who has to go to school and have Grandmothers raising her, that’s something that is common in Belize having somebody being raised by a Grandmother. And the fact that she has a shop and everybody wants to credit to be paid on Friday and they never show up and pay their bills which affects her tuition fee. That is a film that talks about a young teenager’s reality but at the same time many of the adults can relate to it. The other film talked about a family of brothers who all get together once a year to become Blue Devils in Carnival. Again it’s a film that you might think is for Carnival people but at the same time it’s a personal interest documentary that appeal to many people at the showcase last night even those who aren’t carnival participants, it gives you a different insight to that whole event by itself.” 

Zaiden says this is the first time that this kind of traveling film festival is taking place and involving Belize.             

Suzette Zaiden: Chairperson of the Belize Coordination Committee

“So the same images that we are seeing here in Belize will be seen in Jamaica will be seen in Trinidad will be seen in Cuba will be seen in Curacao for example twenty one different countries.” 

Marion Ali: Love FM

“So Belize’s “No Matta What” is a part of it?” 

Suzette Zaiden: Chairperson of the Belize Coordination Committee

“No Belize’s“No Matta What” is not a part of it, the rules that stated as part of the submission specifically said that we are only considering featured films short films and documentaries. It is not a space for television shows for Soap Operas for video clips for news reports there are other forums for those. Today the first showing is at 5:15 and there is a second show at 7:30, on Friday there are three showings roughly at 2, 5 and 7 and same thing on Saturday and on Sunday and on  Monday and then on Tuesday night is the closing.” 

President of the National Institute of Culture and History, Yasser Musa says the show provides an opportunity for Belizeans to learn.               

Yasser Musa: President of NICH

“I believe that such a project has two important cultural things that it brings, first it shows the diversity of artists that we have in the Caribbean in terms of them producing different kinds of films and because we live in a mass media environment that is dominated by its developers we don’t get a chance to see what is being produced in our region. So this is a great chance for all Belizeans to come out and see in one place in one week what has been going on as it relates to Caribbean Film making. The second thing is that I think is that all Government Institutions especially like NICH have an obligation and a responsibility to try and foster this kind of showcase because it is only beneficial to our people. That fact that it is free it shows how much has been invested on the side of UNESCO and the other parties. I think from a cultural stand point it is a great achievement but also a great opportunity too for our people to go and see the films. I especially want to encourage young Belizeans, Junior College students, High School students, University students to come out to the Bliss and check out these films, it’s a fantastic opportunity that we won’t get a chance to see often enough of.” 

The show is being shown free of cost each night at the bliss Center for the Performing Arts in Belize City.   

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