Every Cook Can Govern: The life, works and impact of C.L.R. James – the first feature-length documentary to explore the contributions of the great Trinidad revolutionary, will screen at the trinidad+tobago film festival later this month.
The documentary interweaves never-before-seen footage of James, with testimony from family and comrades, and analysis of his social, political and literary contributions by leading scholars of his work. From his positions on colonialism, cricket, Marxist revolution, and the role of the ordinary man in governance – this contextual and political analysis of his thoughts and works allows greater understanding of James, and what it meant to be an uncompromising revolutionary in the 20th Century, right up until his death, in London in 1989.
According to Ceri Dingle, the film’s director: “The film provides great insight into the life of a 24/7 revolutionary in the 20th century, and what it meant to stand by your principles to the very end, to fearlessly question received wisdom and tirelessly campaign for a better world.”
Every Cook Can Govern marks the culmination of a three year, multimedia project organised by the UK-based education charity WORLDwrite and its Citizen TV station, WORLDbytes. Having trained them from scratch to shoot, research and present on camera, over 200 of the organisation’s volunteers contributed to the making of the film, which was both crowd-funded and crowd-filmed, in tribute to James’ conviction that every cook can govern.
While most of the funding and resources came from sources in the UK, T+T’s Banyan Archives, the OWTU and the University of the West Indies, also provided valuable material.
Every Cook Can Govern: The life, works and impact of C.L.R. James will screen on:
Wed 21 Sept, 6.00pm, MovieTowne Tobago
Thu 22 Sept, 5.00pm, UWI Centre for Language Learning (CLL), Q+A / panel discussion
Sat 24 Sept, 12.00pm, OWTU Headquarters, San Fernando, Q+A / panel discussion
The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) celebrates films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as from world cinema, through an annual festival and year-round screenings. In addition, the ttff seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering a wide-ranging industry programme and networking opportunities. The ttff is presented by Flow, given leading sponsorship by the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company (FilmTT), and supporting sponsorship by RBC Royal Bank, The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC), the Embassy of the United States of America and the Tourism Development Company (TDC).
CLR James, a giant, his works should be taught in all high schools. It’s unbelievable that our kids know nothing much, if any at all about CLR, Marcus Garvey, etc etc. I just had a student ask why are they bringing this up when he saw news of the African American Museum opening recently. I don’t know if it’s the sight and size of the heavy steel shackles that Black people were forced to carry, and the whips, the student questioned whether that was humanly possible, and shocked/dismayed when I said yes that was actually done to human beings. Young student in his 20’s.
A thinker. I remember doing him at school. I look forward to seeing this doc. on him.
A great mind !
What a literary Giant he was!! I read BLACK JACOBINS three times!
And finally, it is here! WHEN CAN WE SEE IT IN DOMINICA?
HOTEP!