Dominica premieres of award winning St. Lucian films

The Dominica premiere of the movies of Mathurine Emmanuel, St. Lucia’s award winning film producer, is due to take place on Friday 21 March at two secondary schools (to be announced at a later date) in Roseau; and on Saturday 22 March at 6:30 pm in the conference room of UWI campus.

As an actress, director, talk show host, and film producer, Emmanuel has devoted her movies, plays, talk shows and documentaries to capturing authentic St. Lucian culture and to imparting positive social and family values to Caribbean Youths.

Her movies have been described as a “world in which bad things happen and mistakes come with a heavy price tag; yet the tragic is buttered with laughter, plenty of laughter; and, above all, parental love, family ties, and community support can always be counted on to save the day.”

Regarded as a pioneer of St. Lucia’s film industry, Emmanuel has produced four movies including Tears in the Valley, Ribbons of Blue, Troubled Waters and Nana’s Paradise.

Tears in the Valley dramatized the dire consequences of substance abuse and sexual promiscuity; Ribbons of Blue tells the story of a mother’s undying love and sacrifice for an ungrateful daughter obsessed with maintaining appearances; Troubled Waters presents a shockingly disturbing film about the devastating effects of child abuse and the healing powers of love; and Nana’s Paradise portrays a young man overcoming great odds to emerge triumphantly and do right by his mother who in the face of excruciating adversity was singlehandedly responsible for holding her family together.

All four movies have received praise from fans and critics alike. Nana’s Paradise was said to be “a testament to the strength, resilience, and triumph of the human spirit over all odds.

Joy and laughter come with equal doses of pain and sadness. The movie will make you weep, laugh and celebrate all at the same time.”

Troubled Waters was described as “an astoundingly beautiful yet shockingly disturbing film about the devastating effects of child abuse and the healing powers of love.”

And Ribbons of Blue was characterized as “a heartwarming and poignant movie about the power and durability of a mother’s love. The movie brings joy to the heart and tears to the eyes. It is a must see for all lovers of St. Lucian and Caribbean culture, and all those who have ever doubted the depth and tenacity of parental love.”
Ribbons of Blue, was the winner of the 2003 St. Lucia M&C Award for Best Film, and the 2005 New York Independent Film Festival Award Winner for Best Director.
Besides these awards, Ms. Emmanuel’s work has attracted grants from UNESCO, the EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme, and the Government of St. Lucia; and her movies have been screened in such diverse places as St. Lucia, Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Surinam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, Cuba, Florida, Connecticut, Texas, New York, New Jersey, England, and France (Cannes).

Mathurine Emmanuel was born and raised in the rural hamlet of Desruisseaux in the southeastern part of St. Lucia. She was the sixth of twelve children of Gerald Charles St. Ange and Mary Francita St. Ange. She has been acting, directing and scripting plays since her preteen years, but it was only in the early 2000’s after she retired from the public school system with 23 years of primary school teaching service, that she established Iyanola Pictures and started producing and marketing films.

Besides her involvement in film and theatre, Emmanuel serves as a motivational speaker and an evangelist with engagements in the Caribbean and North America.
The Dominica premiere is the second stop of Emmanuel’s Caribbean Film Export Promotion Tour. The first stop was Antigua where both secondary school children and the general public were thrilled and taken aback of the entertainment and educational value of the movies. Grenada and St. Vincent are next in line to experience the world of Mathurine Emmanuel.

Emmanuel’s film export promotion tour was made possible, in part, by the 10th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme Direct Assistance Grant Scheme, and support from the St. Lucia Office of Private Sector Relations (OPSR), the St. Lucia Development Bank, the Laborie Cooperative Credit Union, the Mon Repos Community Credit Union, the Bank of St. Lucia, and Total Health Care Pharmacy.