Thursday, April 24, 2008

The short film is pretty much done



The film is mostly done...for the UWI screening. I want to further edit it over the summer period to clarify the story. I also uploaded it onto to youtube.com, you can view it and leave comments here. Unfortunately for you and fortunately for me the quality is not very good neither here nor on youtube, so you will have to come to the screening to see its true greatness! (7pm Friday 9th May 2008 @ National Museum and Art Gallery)

6 comments:

My Chutney Garden said...

Very proud of you. You have tackled a serious issue that is a super hot potato. Good for you.
sharon

Guanaguanare said...

Alicia,
I just viewed your "Luso Trinidad: Home in the Land of the Homeless." I read what the synopsis says but I'd like to hear your explanation of what you were attempting to explore in this film. I have so many questions and comments but for now, could you explain your decision to ask that question about the countries of origin of "white" Trinbagonians and not Luso Trinbagonians to inform/kick-off your exploration of the Luso
Trinbagonian experience?
Blessings

Guanaguanare said...

Hi again Alicia,
My second question:
The first person interviewed (the only male) mumbles something between
"I would consider you white".... and "Are you?" Could you tell me what he said?
Blessings!

Alicia Milne said...

First question:
I embarked on this project as a way to begin to process my feelings and issues (and I have many very real and painful issues) that I have about being white and a minority in Trinidad. It has been my experience that many Trinidadians assume that if you are white that you are: rich, live in westmoorings/deigo/st anns etc.., are a decendent of European slave drivers, prejudiced, an opressor etc.
While some of this may be true for many Trinidadian whites it is definitely not my reality.

I am a Portuguese descendant. The Portuguese came to Trinidad as indentured labourers. They were poor. The white elites did not accept or welcome them. And funnily enough they are now considered white.

Why did I ask where did the whites came from? Good question... No one seems to know or care. Do we really live in a country where no one really cares about the other? Generally, we all know about African Slavery, Indian Indenturship and more recently Chinese Arrival. How then can the arrival of other groups be less important/worth of note? We all share the same space, yet there is little we know of each other.
I asked generally about the whites because the Portuguese are now considered white, and Luso is a preface that denotes someone of Portuguese origins. Luso Trinbagonians originate from the Portuguese islands of Madeira, Azores etc.

Alicia Milne said...

Second question:
He said " I would consider you white.... no offence if you are not (< mumbled)......ARE YOU?'

Guanaguanare said...

Thanks Alicia. But what did he mean when he said "no offence if you are not [white]?" I was thinking that he'd said, "no offence if you are [white]" Either way, this mumbled bit seemed promising and caught my attention.
Blessings!