Grenadian film on Dominica’s Kalinagos wins international award; gets rave reviews

A Grenadian film about Dominica’s indigenous people, the Kalinagos, have been winning international awards and positive reviews from those who have seen it.

The 35-minute long film is titled “New Land: The Kalinago Dream” and so far it has received awards at the Tokyo International Short Film Festival and the Rome International Movie Awards.

It was honorably mentioned at the Munich New Wave Short Film Festival in Germany, as well as official selections at the 2023 ARFF Amsterdam//International Awards, Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival, and the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival.

According to its producers, it takes an on-the-ground look at how the Kalinagos have been fighting to preserve their history and culture among disaster recovery, rapid modernization and invasive cultures that threaten their survival.

Filmfreeway.com describes the film as a documentary that “journeys into the island of Dominica to tell the true story of the last remaining Indigenous people in the Lesser Antilles who have lived in the protected community of the Kalinago Territory for generations. The present population is estimated to be about 3000 people. Despite the harrowing experience of European invasion and colonialism beginning with Christopher Columbus, the Kalinago have survived these destructive genocidal attempts and are still here today celebrating their history and culture.”

It highlights the efforts of MP for the Salybia Consituency, Cozier Frederick and Kalinago Chief Lorenzo Sanford to preserve the Kalinago’s culture, identity, and land against threats like deforestation, industrialisation, and climate change.

The film, which premiered in Grenada on March 9, 2023, is a joint effort between Grenadian filmmaker and Creative Director of the Grenada Film Company, Teddy Dwight Frederick and German production company, Time of Motion.

MP Frederick stressed the importance of telling the story of the Kalinago people from their perspective.

“We were not discovered by [Christopher] Columbus, we were always here. It is hard work to deconstruct what has been taught for years, but we have to tell our story from our point of view,” he said.

Filmmaker Frederick on the other hand, emphasized the importance of keeping the Kalinago conversation alive.

“We hope that we can keep the conversation of Kalinago; we hope that this will be a pilot into making something more,” he said. “Grenada also has a lot of beautiful stories, and we also have Kalinago ancestry and history, and it will be nice to tell our side of the story. So we hope to have a follow-up. This is the story of the Lesser Antilles, and Grenada is also part of the Lesser Antilles, so it will be nice to tell the stories of the Lesser Antilles and include Grenada in there as well.”

The filmmaking team consisted of Teddy Frederick from Grenada, Tom Heinemann from Germany and Josef Sindelka from the Czech Republic.

The film was released in Germany on 14 November 2022, in the Czech Republic on 7 February 2023, and in Grenada on 9 March 2023.

It will debut in Dominica at the World Music Creole Festival 2023 in October.

In the meantime, it will be screened at film festivals worldwide.

See trailer for the film below.

 

 

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10 Comments

  1. If we knew better
    March 22, 2023

    Pity it has to take a Grenadian to figure out that our Kalinago people are gold that we are just sitting on. Even our own Parl Rep and Chief are failing the people. There is billions and billions of dollars available for indigenous people in grant funding. What is our Kalinago Affairs Minister and his ministry doing for the first people pf our nation? just pocketing money and getting free trips and dinners with per diem? It is time the Kalinago demand more. Thank you Grenada for your recognition. I hope your film does incredibly well. Meanwhile in Dominica we continue to watch life pass us by. Dominica Films Commission (if you still exist) and prospective film producers in Dominica, this is a wakeup call.

  2. Lin clown
    March 21, 2023

    Smart Max you should have posted Skerrit paid for this film to be made about the Kalinago people.That would go down better with your uneducated and ignorant people.Sot zor sot.

    • If we knew better
      March 27, 2023

      You are the smartest. EVERYBODY LIN CLOWN IS THE SMARTEST MAN ALIVE!!!.

  3. Ibo France
    March 19, 2023

    I would like to see the Kalingo people film and tell their own story. They are more than capable of doing this for themselves. These ingenious people who have survived many generations of genocide, have so much to tell.

    May this film be very successful at the box office and inspire the Kalinago people to start developing their own film industry and spreading their unique story across the globe.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 5
  4. JHA
    March 18, 2023

    Sooo a film that was made in Dominica, about one group of Dominican people, is being debuted in Dominica a whole year later! WOW.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 3
    • If we knew better
      March 22, 2023

      Some films take years to be released after being filmed. There is editing and other things that need to be done. The film about Hurricane Maria wasnt released until maybe 2 years after the fact.

  5. max
    March 18, 2023

    Nice shooting and production, but it’s like watching a government propaganda film.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
  6. Corn Corner
    March 18, 2023

    That is awesome! I am hoping that the effects of this film on Dominica’s culture, tourism and even our pride will be far reaching.

  7. out of south city
    March 17, 2023

    Brother Cozier, what’s the purpose of using the clip of the “European jacket” to start the film? I know that the word Excellency means “a title given to certain high officials of state,” which I do not take away from you but since you “stressed telling the story of the Kalinago people from their perspective,” I see it so fitting that the introduction should be done in your native wear. You even stated that “it is hard to deconstruct what has been taught for years but we have to tell our story from our point of view.” To me, that’s a conflict between the European wear and the heartfelt message in the film which states that “it takes an on-the-ground look at how the Kalinagos have been fighting to preserve their history and culture among disaster recovery, rapid modernization and invasive cultures that threaten their survival,” so I hope that this film will be an impetus for the younger generation, “the importance of keeping the Kalinago conversation alive.”

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0
  8. The Real Just Saying
    March 17, 2023

    Give mister his props but I wonder what is preventing Dominicans from telling their own stories. They sure know how to mind and spill other people business.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2

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