<$BlogPageTitle$> <$BlogMetaData$>

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

This week at SFC: Up and Dancing & Carnival Roots

THURSDAY May 10th – films 8:15 pm Doors open 7:30 pm

Our screenings are free and all are welcome.

Two documentaries this week – both concerning Trinidad Carnival...
Our first feature is a new film about the Kilimanjaro School in Cocorite.


UP AND DANCING- THE MAGIC STILTS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
(Harald Rumpf.2007/ T&T-Germmany/51’)

The documentary “Up and Dancing” follows the lives of several students and teachers of the “Kilimanjaro School of Arts and Culture” as they prepare for upcoming carnival parades in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
The film takes a realistic yet tender look at the practitioners of the traditional art of stilt walking; characters popularly know as Moko Jumbies.
Practiced primarily by youths from low-income families in the Cocorite hills, “walking” has become a creative diversion from the sometimes harsh realities of poor urban life.

CARNIVAL ROOTS (Peter Chelkowski/2003/T&T-USA/90’)

“Carnival Roots” is an electrifying documentary film about the people and the music that fuel Trinidad’s carnival.
Made over a period of three years while in collaboration with some of Trinidad’s most dynamic designers, musicians, masqueraders and historians, “Carnival Roots” manages to touch on some of the major elements and themes that shape carnival as we know it today.
With great clarity the film offers an insight into the historical links between traditional mas and the development of new forms within carnival.
What emerges as the film progresses is not a presentation of carnival as revelry and fun but a vision of carnival seen as the act of a nation forging it’s own identity.
From camboulay to steelband, to calypso and soca the film emphasizes of the power of transformation that is inherent in the domain of carnival.

“Carnival Roots” which features the music of Machel Montano, Black Stalin, Bunji Garlin and Super Blue among others, is elegantly shot on 16mm film and would have to be considered one of the most definitive films made on the subject of carnival.

1 Comments:

Blogger Justin Benn said...

Really enjoyed both films. Carnival Roots has some lovely moments and is surprisingly compelling given its substantial length.

Great space, CCA7.

12:01 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home