Films from the Commonwealth screened at the 'Birds Eye View' film festival

Whenever her children sat down to watch a cartoon, Camille Selvon Abrahams noticed that without exception they were exposed to Western ideas, voices and philosophy.

While she was pleased they were learning about different cultures, Camille, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, was also concerned that there were no animations which were distinctly Caribbean in look and feel.

So after completing a degree as a mature student at Goldsmiths University in London she decided to direct a cartoon which had a strong flavor of the Caribbean.

Deploying what she calls “guerilla tactics” Camille ensured that everything from the narrator’s voice to the music exuded a Caribbean vibe. “I even wanted to wipe out the tired image of coconut trees and a blazing sun by creating scenes more accurate of the flora and fauna found on the islands, like banana trees and other plants,” she said.

Camille’s short animation, The Vegetarian Super Machine, tells the story of a mysterious treasure hunt and was one of three films screened at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London on 10 March as part of the Birds Eye View Festival.

The other two films were Goddesses Directed by Leena Manimakalai from India and Ras Star, by a young Kenyan filmmaker, Wunuri Kahiu.

Goddesses is an award winning film which tells the story of three women - a funeral singer, a gravedigger and a fisherwoman - and their lone struggle to carve out a place in a ruthless world. Ras Star is a short feature about a girl whose dream of becoming Nairobi's best rapper is at odds with the wishes of her traditional Muslim family.

The screening - Connecting Voices: Films from the Commonwealth - was organised by the Birds Eye View Film Festival in partnership with The Commonwealth Foundation . The film festival is an annual celebration of films and special event that promotes and develops the work of outstanding creative women from around the world. The programme will continue until Friday 13 March with a selection of cutting edge short films and awards ceremony at the ICA. For more information about Birds Eye View and how to book tickets please go to their website: www.birds-eye-view.co.uk.

Andrew Firmin, Programme Manager for Culture at the Commonwealth Foundation argued that although the status of film remains low in many Commonwealth countries, the tide is turning, not least because of technological changes and a growing variety of international film festivals.

“There are notable Commonwealth success stories, such as Bollywood and Nollywood, which are increasingly reaching international and diaspora markets,” he explained. “With new international initiatives, such as the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which emphasises the need to promote a wider range of cultural goods and services, the time is ripe for further work in a Commonwealth context.”

The Commonwealth Foundation has consequently adopted a strategy that supports the development of film across the Commonwealth. The Foundation, which helps civil society organisations promote democracy, development and cultural understanding, already gives grants, but now plans to broaden their work in this area including supporting training for filmmakers from developing countries and sharing skills and expertise. This will be done by working with other international bodies, regional networks, funders, governments and the private sector.

Related Websites:

• Connecting Voices: Films from the Commonwealth
• Birds Eye View
• ICA