Category Archives: Caribbean

A Brooklyn teen and her Guyanaese cousin, who has traveled to New York for an uncles funeral, spend a day together before the wake, an afternoon that arcs from a gentle hang to a more complex articulation of vulnerability and friendship. Mandy Marcuss incredibly assured and beautifully directed short, Cousins, is confident in its clear-eyed realism. It allows its story to unfold as we observe the girls subtly redefine their relationship, with moods and textures shifting as the day moves from afternoon to night and the excellent soundtrack pulses with cues from Sudan Archives and Carlton and the Shoes, among others.

Marcus is a Guyanese-Amerian writer/director who received a BA in Media Studies from Pomona College and an MFA in Directing from The Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College. Cousins is one of five winners of the 2020-21 Student Short Film Showcase, a collaborative program from The Gotham, Focus Features, Jet Blue and the Westridge Foundation, currently available for viewing via Focus Featuress YouTube channel as well as in the air, on Jet Blues in-flight entertainment system. Below, Marcus talks about the importance of casting actors who had a strong connection to Caribbean culture, drawing upon improvisation in the rehearsal process and her advice to incoming film students making short films.

Filmmaker: First, tell me what inspired the short and the characters?

Marcus: I knew I wanted to make a short centered around the Caribbean-American family, where some of the younger generation is US-born, some immigrated in their childhood or teen years, and some live back home but visit the US for weddings and funerals. My family is like this; I have Canadian and British cousins as well. I didnt realize until late in childhood that not every family has this expansive diaspora going on, so I wanted to represent that in a film. The characters are some combination of memories from my teen years, my younger cousins and teen girls that Ive observed while taking the bus through Brooklyn in the mornings.

Filmmaker: Your story compresses a great deal of character detail into a story taking place in a short period of time, and much of that detail is gleaned observationally, by watching the behavior of the two young cousins and the way they interact with each other. Tell me about casting and working with your actresses. What was important for them to know about your directing approach, and what drew you to them?

Marcus: At first I wanted to cast my actual cousins Denessa and Lilly, but that didnt end up working out. It was important to me that both of the actresses have a Caribbean background or a strong connection to Caribbean culture. There is a particular way young people from the Caribbean diaspora speak to their parents and interact with family. There is code switching taking place that would be hard to explain to an actor who had not experienced it first-hand, and that level of authenticity was necessary. My producer, Elise Shin, reached out to Caribbean organizations to advertise our group auditions, and we made it clear in the casting notice that actresses without experience were welcome but there would be a strong preference for actresses with a Caribbean background. I worked with Noelle Gentile, an amazing acting coach, to come up with a series of exercises to test for chemistry, dancing abilities and how the kids read on camera.

From the first group audition Victoria Alcala (Vanessa) and Mickaela Ewen-Forrester (Nikki) had great chemistry in the group exercises, especially the dance one. In the second half of the group auditions I paired the actresses based on how they had performed in the group activities and had them improv around scenes that could be in the script but arent. Then we talked about their families and some of the themes in the film.

Coming out of two rounds of auditions I felt total confidence that Victoria and Mickaela would work. They had great chemistry and captured the essence of the characters in their improvisation. The first couple of rehearsals were about getting to know each other and still using improv, not the actual script, to go deeper with the characters and their relationship. They are both amazing dancers, so one rehearsal was just finding a couple of dances that they could move between at the waterfront scene. Later on we went through the script together and found comps from their lives for the most important interactions in the film. We rehearsed the actual lines in the script a little bit, but most of the line memorization they did as homework. The comps were super useful on set as a shorthand while directing the actors. Because we did all the improv in rehearsal there is almost no improv in the actual film; its all directly from the script. All the adults in the film are non-actors by design, many are related to me, haha.

Filmmaker: What were the challenges of the New York location shooting?

Marcus: Shooting in New York isnt too bad, or maybe Im just used to it because I went to film school here. The greatest challenge was keeping the light consistent in exterior shots lots of waiting for clouds to pass.

My DP, Rikki Porter, and I loved the look of the Bed-Stuy bodega location, but we knew we wouldnt be able to light it with our budget. I designed the scene to be shot in long takes with the camera panning between characters, so Rikki needed to be able to move the camera 360 without catching lighting equipment in frame. The Alexa LF is a brilliant camera, and the footage looked great regardless, but the mixed light made grading a little complicated, especially because we have three different skin tones in that scene. My colorist Oskar Miarka (he is a senior colorist at IndieCollect and did the color for the 2020 restoration of Cane River) is incredible and has worked with Black and Brown skin tones before so he did his magic and made it all work.

Filmmaker: Youve attended school on the West Coast, at Pomona, on the East Coast, at Feirstein, and in Australia. Tell me about the progression of your education, and what led to the different choices of schools? And how has your film school education impacted your current and future work?

Marcus: Ive always been interested in film, I wrote scripts in high school and made little short films, but for many years I never looked directly at the idea of being a director. I was always kind of looking at it from the corner of my eye without acknowledging that this is what I was doing. The result was that I did media studies at Pomona, which is a Choose Your Own Adventure interdisciplinary degree. I took a lot of film history classes, the most impactful of which were Third World Cinema and Decolonization on film, both taught by Ntongela Masilela. I designed an independent study on cult film and punk cinema. I studied abroad at University of Melbourne, where I studied experimental film. The arts program there is tiny, so I ended up in an MFA level course with everyone from performance artists to landscape architects it was a very chaotic experience. Academically, I learned almost nothing, but I was the only student working with physical film so I got the lab and all the film to myself. I spent a lot of time walking around Melbourne alone with a little Super8 camera, snooping on peoples lives and filming the city. When I started grad school my short ideas were almost all political allegories and pretty experimental because of my previous education and time in the music industry. It was challenging to enter grad school without an academic foundation in narrative filmmaking. I found a good middle ground over the three years through discovering new filmmakers, learning from my cohort and professors, and the process of actually editing footage into a cohesive film. I also began to value different things, most importantly emotional resonance and character relationships.

Filmmaker: Finally, how do you feel your shorts have shaped your interests and abilities as a director, and what advice would you offer to filmmakers in film school or not who are engaging with the format right now?

Marcus: Cousins is a coming-of-age drama but Ive also made horror, near-future sci-fi and a surreal drama. The process of making these films has taught me how to be intentional about performance, both in casting and the performance style. Similarly you need to know the precise tone of your film and be able to communicate it to your collaborators in an effective way. If the tone is inconsistent the audience will sense it immediately and react badly. I think this is especially true of short films.

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There is a Particular Way Young People from the Caribbean Diaspora Speak to Their Parents and Interact with Family: Mandy Marcus on Her Student Short...

Media Release: Bridgetown Barbados

Wednesday, June 2, 2021 The European Union (EU) and the Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO) have partnered to support the countries in the Caribbean in their efforts in building resilience and adapting to the impacts of climate change. This assistance is being provided through a new grant agreement recently signed between the EU and the CMO on 1 June 2021, for a regional initiative to be implemented by the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH).

With a budget of 9 million, new climate products and data platforms will be developed to improve access to and uptake of climate information, which will benefit practitioners in the region in climate-sensitive sectors as well as citizens across the Caribbean ACP countries. These improvements will support more targeted use of climate data in a number of sectors that are key to addressing the needs of vulnerable communities in the Caribbean including health, water, and agriculture.

The initiative will also accelerate the adoption and implementation of the emerging Caribbean Framework for Climate Services (CFCS) at the regional and national level. Led by the CIMH, the CFCS will improve climate forecasts and strengthen the capacity of Caribbean countries to deliver sector specific climate services and information. This user driven information will support actions to reduce vulnerability the tourism, energy and other key sectors.

CIMH Principle, Dr. David A. Farrell noted,

"this Action will advance climate services value chains in the agriculture and food security, water and health sectors in three selected countries, Guyana, Jamaica and Dominica respectively. However, all CMO Member States will benefit from the transfer of knowledge and knowhow from these pilots. The action will also promote exchanges among producers and end users of climate information and services and will expose both CIMH and NMHS's staff to capacity building opportunities and new partnerships with international research and development institutions. Dr. Farrell added, The investment will ultimately enhance the competence of regional professionals to develop, deliver and utilize climate services to advance the regions climate resilience."

During her visit to the CIMH EU's Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska stated,

The provision of sector-specific climate information builds the resilience of vulnerable groups. For example, climate services for the agriculture sector provides the foundation for vulnerable groups to make risk informed decisions that safeguard their livelihoods in a context of increasing climate variability, extremes and change". She added, "This project is in line with the support that the European Union is offering to the Region to increase the resilience and capacity of the Caribbean. Therefore, coordination between the different organizations is key to achieving our common goal."

The CIMH provides climate services, and In some cases co-produce and co-deliver, to technical organizations such as the Caribbean Agricultural Research & Development Institute (CARDI), the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). Since 2010, with the re-establishment of the Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum, the climate sensitive sectors have been better able to access and integrate sector-tailored climate early warning information to enhance their decision-making processes.

The rest is here:

EU 9M for Caribbean Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation - Guyana - ReliefWeb

The three larger countries in the south Caribbean continue to struggle to control COVID-19 pandemic infections, with the number of positive cases and deaths breaking records in the month of May.

The worst affected is Trinidad, where authorities are enforcing nighttime curfews and severe restrictions on outdoor activities including exercise areas, gyms and bars, in the wake of 301 deaths in the twin island with Tobago for this year and a total of 479 since the first recorded outbreak in that nation in March of last year.

Authorities are treating the situation with such urgency that they have implemented a special 10 a.m. daytime curfew for a number of public holidays this week and in the coming weeks to minimize public interaction. Most supermarkets opened only for a few hours on Monday to allow for emergency shopping, hours after medical authorities reported nine new deaths at the weekend.

In Dutch-speaking Suriname, the administration of President Chan Santokhi has asked The Netherlands, Surinames former colonizer, for help in sending a team of doctors and shipments of oxygen tanks to fill a shortage in the country of just over 500,000. Neighboring French Guiana has also sold Suriname a shipment of oxygen tanks, even as officials ramp up a nationwide vaccination program. The country has adequate supplies of doses and expects more in the coming weeks.

The first team of Dutch doctors is due to arrive in Paramaribo on Friday. The medical council has reported that hospital beds are now in short supply owing to a spike in infections.

Nighttime curfews remain in effect and much of the country is in lockdown mode as the administration scrambles to put a lid on viral infections.

Like neighboring Guyana, Suriname has long and unpoliced borders with Brazil where the virus has killed thousands of people. The deadly Brazilian strain of the virus is also being blamed for the hike in fatalities in Suriname and Guyana. Trinidad has already reported the presence of the deadly strain on the island.

Local airports and marine borders have remained closed since March of last year. Prime Minister Keith Rowley has in part linked civil society candlelight vigils protesting crime in Trinidad and public indiscipline during the Easter weekend with the latest spike.

Guyana, the largest member nation in the 15-country regional grouping, reported nearly 3,000 cases and 90 deaths for May, by far the highest since March of 2020. The April death toll was 66. The total number of deaths is heading to 400.

The administration of President Irfaan Ali has taken a business-first approach to the pandemic, implementing a largely useless 10.30 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew. Apart from social distancing restrictions at some state offices and most private businesses, life in the country remains as normal as if there was no pandemic. Soldiers and police try to enforce the nighttime curfews, albeit with

limited success. Cabinet officials last week made it clear there were no plans for a lockdown or restriction of activities anytime soon as crowded municipal markets and other shopping areas remain open. Activities are unrestricted.

As Trinidad observed Indian Arrival Day on Monday, May 31 both the opposition and government appealed for responsible behavior from citizens.

It is now all a matter of Trinidad and Tobago, Rowley said. The pandemic has upended societies worldwide, and opened us to the challenges of a whole new world. It is now all a matter of individual responsibility, and if we look beyond, we may see the opportunities for change, first, in our individual lives, and the possibilities for wider national socio-economic reform, he said in a special message.

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COVID situation in south Caribbean worsens - Amsterdam News

The Escaz Agreement came into force in April 2021 with 12 ratifications (out of a possible 33) from Latin American and Caribbean countries. Guided by a secretariat at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, it is the first environmental treaty in the region, and affirms Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, resting on critical principles of environmental democracy and human rights. A six-year negotiation process that included States, civil society, environmental, and human rights experts yielded an agreement that enshrines the rights of access to information, citizen participation, and access to justice in environmental matters. As the first legally binding instrument to include provisions and protections for environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs), it has been hailed by its supporters in the region and around the globe as a landmark agreement for countries that continue to suffer extremely high numbers of killings of EHRDs.

The agreement, also known as the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters, links these obligations to environmental management and protection in connection with sustainable use of natural resources, biodiversity conservation, land degradation, climate change, and disaster resilience, among others. Parties to the agreement agree to be guided by 11 principles, including the principles of non-regression and progressive realization, the preventative principle, the precautionary principle, and the principle of intergenerational equity. Notably, the agreement provides that parties shall adopt the necessary measures of a legislative, regulatory, administrative or any other nature, in the framework of its domestic provisions. This requirement is key to ensuring future compliance with the agreement, even in those countries that already may have laws addressing the three principal rights.

The main commitments of the parties coalesce around the principal rights, prescribing quite specific requirements in connection with each right. The publics right of access to environmental information is guided by the principle of maximum disclosure. This means that no special interest or reason for the information must be demonstrated, and full facilitation of access to the information for vulnerable persons or groups, including indigenous peoples or ethnic groups, is mandatory. Exceptions to disclosure are permitted, but the standards for non-disclosure are high, including the requirement to take into account each partys human rights obligations. Extensive and detailed obligations are set forth on general requirements for generation and dissemination of environmental information not limited to particular projects. If successful, this agreement will go a long way to sharing critical information within countries, especially with vulnerable persons and groups.

The agreement lays out a robust process for ensuring public participation in the environmental decision-making process, including minimum standards, and seeks to ensure compliance with international normative frameworks. Parties commit to establishing overall conditions that are adapted to the social, economic, cultural, geographical and gender characteristics of the public, a significant nod to the importance of socio-economic considerations in decision-making. Another novel element is the requirement to promote public participation in international forums and negotiations on environmental matters or with an environmental impact. The publics right of access to justice under the agreement calls for a domestic legislative framework that ensures access to judicial and administrative frameworks for challenging and appealing a full array of decisions. Not only are decisions related to access to environmental information and public participation covered, but also those decisions that could affect the environment or violate environmental laws and regulations. Significantly, the right includes free technical and legal assistance to persons or groups in vulnerable situations.

Incorporated in the final sections of the agreement are the three key paragraphs that address the rights of EHRDs, an unprecedented step to ensure protection of individuals across the region. Parties are required to guarantee a safe and enabling environment for those who defend human rights in environmental matters, and they commit to take adequate and effective measures to protect and promote all the rights of human rights defenders, including rights of peaceful assembly and association, free movement and exercise of access rights. Finally, in a region that has been unable to stave off killings of EHRDs, parties undertake to prevent, investigate and punish attacks, threats or intimidations that defenders suffer in the course of exercising the rights set out the in the Escauz Agreement.

Whether this agreement will spark a new era of multilateralism in the pursuit of sustainable development and regional cooperation remains to be seen. Surprising opposition to the agreement in the countries of some of the original supportersincluding Costa Rica, Chile, Brazil, Colombia and Peru means that the agreement is currently unratified in those places. Nevertheless, supporters are hopeful that the passage of time will demonstrate how everyone in the region benefits under the Escaz Agreement.

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The New Environmental and Human Rights Treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean You Should Know About - JD Supra

One of the most popular live-action movie franchises to come out of the Walt Disney Company is Pirates of the Caribbean.

Related:How Captain Jack Sparrow character was a key in Star Wars: Galaxys Edge

After five successful films, and two more in the works, as well as the implementation of the IP into Disney Parks around the globe, the film holds a cult following of fans that are incredibly dedicated to the franchise. As of late, there has been a bit of controversy when it comes to Pirates of the Caribbean.

Related:OpEd: Ranking the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies

Johnny Depp, who plays the iconic character, Jack Sparrow, has just been booted from the franchise by Disney after losing a libel case against a U.K. tabloid that accused him of domestic violence against ex-wife Amber Heard. As the ex-couple continues to have their $150 million legal battle in the public spotlight, it seems Disney may have wanted to stay away from the drama.

With that decision, however, Disney may have brought extra drama upon themselves! Fans have petitioned and continue to defend Depp as a necessary puzzle piece in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, especially once Disney announced that one of the next two films will be female-led and written by Christina Hodson, with Margot Robbie taking over the Jack Sparrow captain role.

Related:Pirates Star Johnny Depp Reportedly Cast in Tim Burtons Beetlejuice 2

However, there is another film that is reportedly in development which will be directed by Joachim Rnning and be a sequel to Dead Men Tell No Tales. Now that Depp will not be starring in any future films, it is likely that new characters will need to be introduced into the franchise. It has lately been rumored that Captain James Hook from Peter Pan may make an appearance in Rnnings next film.

Related: Pirates of the Caribbean Features Secret Captain Hook Cameo

Although this may seem like a stretch, lets take a look at if Captain Hook in a Pirates of the Caribbean film could be a possibility.

Firstly, we need to remember that Captain James Hook expands beyond the Peter Pan animated film, and has an entire backstory that actually ties into Pirates of the Caribbean. In the 2011 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom novel, Captain James Hook is mentioned to be a pirate captain during the Age of Piracy.

James had a terrible temper, and although his last name was unknown, the hook on his hand left him with the nickname James Hook. Hook was most notably the pirate captain of the Jolly Roger, and although Hook went missing for years, he eventually resurfaced without showing any noticeable age. This could be an interesting plot line, considering, as per the novel, Hook would have been Jack Sparrows fathers age. That being said, the novel does not point towards Hook being alive or dead, which would be an important point to clarify if the franchise were to move forward with an idea such as this.

It could be an interesting movie to put a character so many Disney fans recognize as one-sided and animated, into a live-action setting where we can learn more about him

After seeing how Disney has done this with other villains such as Cruella and Maleficent, adding Hook into the mix does not seem so outlandish, especially considering he is already written into the Pirates of the Caribbean novels.

All of this being said, the Joachim Rnning directed Pirates of the Caribbean film has not received any recent updates, and the idea of Hook joining the cast is solely speculation at this point.

Do you think that Captain Hook could find a home in Pirates of the Caribbean 6?

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Could Disney Replace Jack Sparrow with Captain Hook? - Inside the Magic

Unlike Bob Dylan in his hit song, Saildrones really does hope the answer is "blowin in the wind". The company plans to launch five of its ocean drones in the Caribbean, to gather data from hurricanes.

In a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) agency, the company prepares to launch five ocean drones in the Caribbean, more precisely in the US Virgin Islands. The drones will be launched in August and will collect valuable data during the 2021 Tropical Atlantic hurricane season.

The USVs will help scientists get a better understanding of how hurricanes work and get to intensify. The drones will go right in the paths of hurricanes, observe the extreme weather and transmit real-time meteorological and oceanographic data such as the air and water temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and more, as announced by Saildrone.

In order for the vehicles to cope with such extreme weather conditions, the ocean drones are designed to withstand waves that are more than 10 feet (3 meters) tall and winds of over 70 mph (112 kph). They are also equipped with so-called hurricane wings that are 16.5 ft (5 m) long.

Christian Meinig, Director of Engineering at NOAA/PMEL says this will be an unprecedented event, as this is the first time someone dares to send a robotic vehicle right into the eye of a hurricane.

According to Saildrone, hurricane damage is estimated at approximately $54 billion a year in the United States alone.

Saildrones USVs are mainly powered by solar and wind, are equipped with advanced sensors, high-resolution cameras, and use artificial intelligence technology that allows them to maneuver on their own. Saildrone Explorer and Saildrone Surveyor are part of the companys fleet and they can carry out missions of up to 12 months at a time. The Explorer is a 23 feet (7m) USV, while the newer model, the Surveyor, is much bigger, at 72 ft (22 m).

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Saildrone Launches Five Drones in the Caribbean to Help Us Fight Hurricanes - autoevolution

As far as we know, Disney are still committed to making two brand new Pirates of the Caribbean movies, with Johnny Depp not currently part of the equation. One is slated to be a direct sequel of sorts to Dead Men Tell No Tales, with co-director Joachim Rnning set to fly solo behind the camera, while the other is being written by Birds of Prey and The Flash scribe Christina Hodson, and will see Margot Robbie star and produce.

Thats about the extent of the official information we have available on either project, but a quick glance at the internet will make it abundantly clear that a huge number of fans simply arent interested in seeing a new Pirates adventure without Captain Jack Sparrow, which is completely understandable when he was the biggest name, most popular character and main selling point of the entire operation.

Itll certainly be interesting to see how things turn out with Depp not involved, especially as were now hearing from our sources the same ones who told us Luke Skywalker would be returning to Star Wars long before The Mandalorians season 2 finale dropped that the Mouse House want to dip into their own back catalogue and bring Captain Hook into the mix, and while that sounds ludicrous at first, theres actually kind of a precedent for this sort of thing within the context of the franchise.

Davy Jones was a mythological character brought to tentacled life in Dead Mans Chest, while Blackbeard was a real-life historical figure given supernatural undertones in On Stranger Tides. Captain James Hook, meanwhile, originated in J.M. Barries Peter Pan, but has gone on to enjoy a long life of his own as a cultural icon, and while it could come off as incredibly stupid and heavy-handed if his theoretical introduction into Pirates of the Caribbean was botched, it would be far from the most ridiculous thing to happen in the series were it to come to fruition.

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New Pirates Of The Caribbean Movie May Introduce Captain Hook - We Got This Covered

Derived from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa and responsible for giving curry (and everything it touches) a yellow color, turmeric or the Golden Root is much more than just an agricultural commodity in the Caribbean. With its plethora of medicinal, culinary, spiritual and economic uses, many consider it to be the Caribbeans spice of life.

Turmeric roots and turmeric powder

Native to southern Asia and some Pacific islands, turmeric plants are harvested for their rhizomes or underground stems. These are either used fresh or are boiled and then dried, after which they are ground into a deep-orange or yellow powder. This process dates back at least a century in the Caribbean.

Indentured servants from India brought much more than their strong work ethic and colorful culture to add to the fabric of Caribbean culture. They also brought the gift of turmeric, says culinary anthropologist, Peter Ivey of the period between 1838 and 1917 when more than half a million Indians were taken to thirteen nations in the Caribbean to meet the need for plantation labor following the abolition of slavery.

With the migration from India came a transfer not only of people, but the turmeric plant, and its cultural and religious significance as well.

In countries such as Guyana where is it is called haldi, or Trinidad, where it is referred to as hardi, from the Sanskrit, haridra, those of the Hindu faith view turmeric as auspicious and sacred and for generations it has played a role in holy ceremonies, wedding day traditions and even childbirth.

Hindu devotees pour turmeric powder on a shivling, a representation of Hindu god Shiva, during ... [+] Shivratri festival (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A)

Turmerics history of use as a medicinal herb goes back about 4000 years in India and the south Asian region. The influence of Indian culture in the Caribbean is evident in the growing popularity of traditional Indian healing systems such as Ayurveda, which makes use of turmeric for its well-documented antiviral, antibacterial and antiparasitic properties, as well as its ability to relieve a number of ailments such as osteoarthritis, inflammation, Alzheimers disease and eczema.

Over the past century, use of turmeric for medicinal purposes has become increasingly prevalent throughout the Caribbean.

Among the Accompong Maroons of Cockpit Country in Jamaica, where the spice grows naturally wild and is reaped in a traditional fashion, the plant has been used for a myriad of purposes.

Turmeric is no stranger to the common household in Cockpit country, says Chief Richard Currie of the Accompong Maroons, who has been developing a turmeric beverage that he hopes to soon take to market.

The Maroons have used this root for over a century, not only for food but also to treat a myriad of ailments such as fever, belly aches, indigestion, infection and in more serious circumstances, to treat cancer.

Turmeric grown within the region is known to have strong characteristics in flavor, color and curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) content. The strongly flavoured spice with its rich golden yellow colour is prevalent in many Caribbean dishes.

In Grenada, the yellow color of traditional "oil down" comes from a recipe of breadfruit, chicken salted meat, dumplings and vegetables stewed in coconut milk mixed with turmeric and other spices.

As the primary ingredient in curry, the use of turmeric is widespread in Guyana, Trinidad and Jamaica in Indian-inspired delicacies such as curried chicken and goat, and in doubles and rotis.

Culinary uses of turmeric within the Caribbean range from traditional preparations to creative innovations: ginger-turmeric ice cream at A&Js Premium Ice Cream Shop in Trinidad, The Reggae Chefs Green Banana Salad with Tumeric Lemon Aioli in Jamaica, Ibu Kemis popular ginger and turmeric bread in Trinidad, and Araunama Chocolate Company of Guyanas 70% dark chocolate with turmeric and ginger.

Green Banana Salad with Turmeric Lemon Aioli

I love everything about turmeric, says Barbados-based Plant Based Chef, Manuela Scalini.

I love the fact that its flavor and color is so grounding. I enjoy the ritual of washing down the dirt of fresh turmeric, grating it or chopping it, and the yellow stains in my hands. Of course, here in the Caribbean its used abundantly in curries and stews, but I use it daily in making Jamu tonic, a medicinal Indonesian drink made with turmeric, raw honey and lemon. I took a few courses about Jamu [traditional Indonesian medicine] in Bali and learned so many uses for turmeric, and its amazing that I can find it so abundantly here in Barbados.

Indonesian Jamu tonic

Scalinis turmeric seasoning, which she calls Golden Paste, is inspired by traditional Bajan seasoning used to season meat and fish, and is made of processed fresh turmeric, ginger, warming seeds and spices with lots of onion and garlic.

In Belize, mother-daughter team, Umeeda and Nareena Switlo founded Naledo, producer of the worlds first wild-crafted, whole root turmeric paste Truly Turmeric which can be used in hummus, pasta, oats, mashed potatoes and soups.

While the founders of the award-winning product are not originally from Belize, the certified B Corporation sources its raw materials from the Central American country and supports local growers who are paid six times more than the fair trade price for their turmeric.

Turmeric has the potential not only to enhance the physical but also the socioeconomic well being of many of the Caribbean regions rural communities.

In Accompong, Cockpit country Jamaica, Rushelle Lennon-Beason uses a grant that she received from the Development Bank of Jamaica for her turmeric line of soaps and toiletries, which she named Hair and Face Essentials. Rushelle grinds her own organic turmeric that she grows at home, dries it in the sun and then boils it.

I want to teach my daughter that in her future she should have something that she can call her own, says Lennon-Beason. People on the outside they want what is from Accompong. They want the natural stuff. They want the good stuff.

According to a business assessment produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Jamaican turmeric has an annual demand from fresh exporters and local processors of over 2,500 metric tonnes with a 65 per cent profit margin per cycle under favorable weather conditions.

Our goal is to ensure that turmeric becomes one of Jamaicas prime export crops, said Jamaicas Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Floyd Green.

Statistics from JAMPRO (Jamaica Promotions Corporation) Jamaica's investment and export promotion agency, reveal that Jamaica exported more than $1.4 million worth of turmeric to the United States in 2019.

Value added products, such as Salada Foods Ginger-Turmeric tea have experienced an upsurge in exports during the pandemic, due to the immunity benefits of the plant which have created an increase in demand from the Diaspora.

There are major opportunities to expand local production, given that the country is still meeting about 90 per cent of its demand through imports.

The Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) recently collaborated with the FAO on a project to improve turmeric yields through single bud technology and is embarking on a 20-acre turmeric pilot project in an effort to promote production that could meet at least 60 per cent of the demand for the spice, which would result in an increase of 25% in national production and a yield increase of 100%.

In the cities and suburbs of the Caribbean as in the rest of the Western world, demand for turmeric is rising due to its growing reputation as a super food. Millennials can be found huddled around tables at Island Naturals Caf in the Cayman Islands, enjoying their golden milk lattes, busy housewives are picking up a bottle of Tumeric ginger lime Ujuice while on their way to yoga class in Trinidad, while in Barbados, Chef Manuela Scalini gets a pick-up order for a Lemongrass and turmeric raw Vegan cheesecake for a corporate event.

Lemongrass and turmeric raw Vegan cheesecake

It seems like the entire world has come full circle, back to a trend that originated thousands of years ago.

Beside its medicinal value and distinct flavor, I love how turmeric has been used for ages by our ancestors in so many healing traditions across the globe, says Chef Manuela Scalini. Whether in the Caribbean, or elsewhere, it connects us all through the ages.

Continued here:

Turmeric Is The Caribbeans Spice Of Life - Forbes

Sunwing is set to relaunch a wave of flights to the Caribbean out of the Atlantic coast of Canada this winter, Caribbean Journal has learned.

The Canadian travel giant will resume service from Halifax to eight different destinations in January 2022, from Cancun and Montego Bay to Punta Cana and Varadero.

All of the flights will operate once each week, with service running through the first and second week of May.

That includes flights to Cancun, Montego Bay, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Cayo Coco, Cayo Santa Maria, Holguin and Varadero.

Sunwing will also be resuming weekly flights from Moncton to the Caribbean, with service to Cancun, Montego Bay, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana and Varadero, with Moncton service operating from the second week of February to the first week of May.

In March, Sunwing will kick off flights from St Johns to Cayo Coco, Varadero, Cancun, Montego Bay and Punta Cana; all of those weekly flights will run through mid-May.

CJ

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More Flights from Canada to the Caribbean This Winter - Caribbean Journal

Deemed one of the "25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World" by MovieMaker Magazine in 2019, the Third Horizon Film Festival returns for its fifth edition. This year the festival will be hosted hybrid style with a thoughtfully curated mix of in-person and virtual screenings beginning June 24, 2021, through July 1, 2021, in Miami, Florida.

For the first time, the festival will be broadcasting to a global audience, sharing Caribbean culture through penetrating cinema, insightful discussions, and electric music and visual art. Tickets are now available via thirdhorizonfilmfestival.com.

Virtual attendees can access the festival directly on the website or through the official Third Horizon Film Festival app, available on Amazon Fire T.V. Stick, Apple T.V., and Roku. Those interested in an in-person viewing experience can attend four screenings and three parties hosted at the Nite-Owl Drive-In and one screening and extended panel discussion at the Prez Art Museum Miami.

"We've envisioned this edition of the festival as an underground Caribbean television station sending an urgent signal out to the world for one week in the middle of a historic summer; we're aiming to bridge diasporas and regions with this one," says Jason Fitzroy Jeffers, Co-Festival Director and Co-Executive Director of parent organization Third Horizon, an award-winning Caribbean filmmaking collective. "The Caribbean is the crossroads of the world, between the east and the west, the old world and the new. We are descended from people all across the globe: Taino, African, Asian, Spanish, French, Dutch, you name it. The stories forged in this cultural furnace-which come to life in the incredible films we're screening-have so much to share with the world."

With its move to a hybrid model with virtual screenings, THFF has expanded from four days to seven, featuring its largest and most robust lineup yet of 12 feature films, three medium-length films, and 46 short films.

"Our ongoing evolution has guided this year's film program as a celebration of thoughtful cinema from the Caribbean, its diaspora and beyond, but just as much as by the seismic events of the past year," says Jonathan Ali, Director of Programming. "This is the most inclusive we've ever been in our selection, with the most countries we've ever had represented in our lineup. It's a deliberate mix of fiction, non-fiction, hybrid, and experimental work, reflecting an outlook of global solidarity in this moment of precarity and potential, and also promises an unforgettable viewing experience for audiences."

As is tradition, the festival will feature a virtual artist exhibition featuring the engaging work of Miami-based Haitian-American artist Edny Jean Joseph and New York-based Trinidadian-American/Barbadian-American artist duo Intelligent Mischief. The festival will also host three parties at Nite Owl Drive-In curated by acclaimed Trinidadian-Venezuelan DJ and event producer Foreigner, one of the most exciting creatives on the underground L.A. scene.

Finally, the festival will host three panels, in addition to a three-day seminar immediately preceding the festival called Caribbean Film Academy, details of which are soon to be announced. Together, the workshops and seminar offer Caribbean filmmakers worldwide an opportunity to gather to learn from some of the leading voices in Caribbean cinema virtually.

"There are very few film programs in the Caribbean, especially the English-speaking Caribbean, giving students an in-depth understanding of the industry and craft, and many of our most talented, emerging filmmakers often have to head abroad to further their education and careers," said Romola Lucas, Co-Festival Director and Co-Executive Director of Third Horizon. "For those who can't go overseas to attend film school, we are bringing film school to them with this program."

OPENING NIGHT FILM: LIBORIO

Thursday, June 24, 8:30 pm | Nite-Owl Drive-In and Tropical Market

Set in the Dominican Republic in the 1920s and based on a true story, Liborio chronicles the life of its title character. This peasant disappears in a hurricane and returns as a prophet. He says he's been given a mission to bring the good and take away the evil, curing the sick and teaching by example. People begin to assemble by his side. They move to the mountains to have total freedom and develop their dream of an independent community - everything changes when the invading US Marines want to disarm and disband the community. Liborio wants to avoid a confrontation, but they know they can't run forever. (Dominican Republic)

*Followed by the festival's Opening Night Party party DJed by Foreigner

STATELESS: Screening and Panel Discussion

Saturday, June 26, 3 pm | Prez Art Museum Miami

Stateless, the new film from Michle Stephenson, the critically acclaimed filmmaker of American Promise, looks at the complex politics of immigration and race in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In this dangerous climate, a young attorney named Rosa Iris mounts a grassroots campaign, challenging electoral corruption and advocating for social justice. As Rosa balances her congressional run with her dedication to her family and community, the full scope of her fight is revealed. (Dominican Republic/Haiti)

*Followed by an extended discussion with Stephenson, the film's subject Rosa Iris Diendomi, and France Francois, founder and CEO of In Cultured Company, an organization that works on conflict resolution and reconciliation between Haitians and Dominicans. Moderated by Third Horizon filmmaker Monica Sorelle.

WEEKEND DOUBLE FEATURE: SHE PARADISE & STUDIO 17: THE LOST REGGAE TAPES

Saturday, June 26, 8:30 pm + 10:30 pm | Nite-Owl Drive-In and Tropical Market

In She Paradise, Sparkle is a nave 17-year-old girl seeking community and excitement when she stumbles upon a free-spirited dance crew who invite her to their next audition. Welcomed despite her lack of street smarts, she soon meets Skinny, a rapper who's immediately taken with her wide-eyed innocence. Navigating this thrilling yet sinister new world that revolves around nightlife and cash, Sparkle finds her fate in the hands of those with power in this seemingly postcard-perfect setting, with misogyny brewing beneath the surface. (Trinidad and Tobago)

Studio 17 tells the compelling story of the Chins, the Chinese-Jamaican family behind one of the actual birthplaces of reggae music. Located in downtown Kingston, Studio 17 became a legendary recording studio right at the heart of the music revolution that began after Jamaican independence from Great Britain in 1962. (UK/Jamaica)

*Preceded by a warm-up lime at the drive-in at 6:30 pm curated by Foreigner.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM: BANT MAMA

Thursday, July 1, 8:30 pm | Nite-Owl Drive-In and Tropical Market

In Bant Mama, a French woman of African descent escapes after being arrested in the Dominican Republic. She finds shelter in the most dangerous district of Santo Domingo, where a group of children takes her in. By becoming their protg and maternal figure, she will see her destiny change inexorably.

*Followed by the festival's Closing Night Party party DJed by Foreigner and guests

The festival was founded in 2016 by Third Horizon, a Caribbean filmmaking collective. Its films, such as Papa Machete and T, have screened at some of the world's most prominent film festivals such as Sundance, BlackStar and TIFF, with T being awarded the coveted Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the 2020 Berlinale, the Berlin International Film Festival, known as one of the "big three" film festivals in the world alongside Cannes and Venice. In 2020, Third Horizon merged with the NYC-based nonprofit Caribbean Film Academy-co-founders and joint producers of the festival-to create the new and expanded Third Horizon.

Third Horizon is proudly supported by Knight Foundation, which supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, please visit knightfoundation.org.

Third Horizon is also proudly supported by JustFilms / Ford Foundation. As part of the Ford Foundation's Creativity and Free Expression program, JustFilms funds social justice storytelling and the 21st-century arts infrastructure that supports it. The projects and people it supports inspire imaginations, disrupt stereotypes, and help transform the conditions that perpetuate injustice and inequality. For more, please visit fordfoundation.org.

THIRD HORIZON FILM FESTIVAL 2021

FILM SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JUNE 24

8:30 pm

LIBORIO

Dir. Nino Martnez Sosa | 77 mins | 2021 | Dominican Republic/France | Spanish and French with English Subtitles | Fiction

In the Dominican Republic early in the 20th century, Liborio, a peasant, disappears in a hurricane and returns as a prophet. He says he's been given a mission: to bring the good and take away the evil, curing the sick and teaching by example. People begin to congregate by his side and they move to the mountains to have total freedom and develop the dream of an independent community. Everything changes when the invading US Marines want to disarm and disband the community. Liborio wants to avoid a confrontation, but he knows that they can't run forever.

LIBORIO will be screening both online at in-person at Nite Owl Drive-In

10:30 pm

OPENING NIGHT PARTY FEATURING FOREIGNER

In keeping with its history of epic opening night parties, Third Horizon Film Festival 2021 will kick off with a session under the stars with Foreigner, the Trinidadian/Venezuelan DJ who's set L.A.'s underground scene on fire with his debaucherous and wildly inventive parties such as Junkyard Jourvet and Road Block Rally.

FRIDAY, JUNE 25

6:00 pm

SHORT FICTIONS: PROGRAM 1

Four dramatic shorts from the Caribbean and its diaspora that reflect an impressive range of styles and themes.

TUFF GUY

Dir. Yannis Sainte-Rose | 23 mins | 2021 | Martinique | French French Creole with English subtitles | Fiction

Following an inappropriate remark towards a woman, a young man finds himself plunged into a parallel world where he will undergo a series of remarks and micro-attacks usually reserved for women.

NO ENTRY

Dir. Kaleb D'Aguilar | 13 mins | 2021 | United Kingdom | English | Fiction

Against the backdrop of the Windrush scandal, a Jamaican mother, Valerie, struggles to keep her relationship with her son Eli intact. Valerie suffers in silence as she battles with the government's hostile environment tactics. She keeps the threat of deportation a secret, while her psychological state begins to deteriorate and she grapples with the fear of losing her son and the country she calls home.

PARIS IS HERE

Dirs. La Magnien and Quentin Chantrel | 17 mins | 2020 | French Guiana | French and French Creole with English Subtitles | Fiction

The peaceful life of Georges, an introverted French Guyanese teenager, gets complicated when he falls in love with Gisele, a dreamy girl who hopes to see Paris more than anything.

COUSINS

Dir. Mandy Marcus | 13 mins | 2021 | United States | English | Fiction

A Brooklyn teenager is reunited with her Guyanese cousin for the funeral of a relative. On the last day of the wake, the girls venture out into the city alone.

8:00 pm

PARTY DONE

Dir. Ian Harnarine | 46 mins | 2021 | Trinidad & Tobago | English Creole with English Subtitles | Non-Fiction

A popular Trinidadian television host utilizes viewer tips in an attempt to make a dent in the country's soaring murder and crime rate. His controversial techniques put him at odds with criminals and the law.

9:30 pm

RIGHT NEAR THE BEACH

Dir. Gibrey Allen | 80 mins | 2020 | Jamaica | English | LGBTQ+ Fiction

After the death of famous runner Jeffrey Jacobs, the Jamaican public becomes enamored with the details of his life and speculates as to the motivation behind his murder. Jeffrey's father, a reserved and kind farmer, struggles to grieve while inundated by the inescapable coverage. Through moments of blinding rage and quiet contemplation, the camera is a window into a life burdened by the death of a child that will never know justice. Against a backdrop of beautiful vistas, Right Near The Beach takes a lyrical approach to its subject-rather than treat the murder as a voyeuristic mystery, the film challenges us to contemplate the anguish of loss while everyone else debates the value of one person's life.

SATURDAY, JUNE 26

11:00 am

SHORTS: THIS WOMAN'S WORK

History and myth, poetry and reality embrace one another in these four filmic conjurations of the feminine, from Guyana to Scotland, Cuba to the USA.

PATTAKI

Dir. Everlane Moraes | 21 mins | 2018 | Cuba | Spanish with English subtitles | Experimental Non-Fiction

In the dense night, when the moon lifts the tide, beings trapped in the daily life of water scarcity are hypnotized by the powers of Yemaya, the goddess of the sea.

DOLL THOMAS

Dir. Ashanti Harris | 22 mins | 2019 | English | Scotland | English | Experimental Non-Fiction

Doll Thomas, is a document of artist and filmmaker Ashanti Harris' research into the historical relationship between Guyana and Scotland, and the hidden legacies of a female diaspora. In the film, Harris applies Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's theories of translation as a methodology for speculating history and elaborating on the complex and extraordinary life of Doll Thomas, from the limited archival information documenting her existence. (Audience content warnings: The work makes reference to difficult and traumatic histories including the transatlantic slave trade and the colonial subjugation of women.)

SPIT ON THE BROOM

Dir. Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich | 11 mins | 2020 | United States | English | Experimental Non-Fiction

For more than a century and a half, a group of African-American women belonging to a clandestine organization have acted as agents of goodwill in their communities. This visual essay conveys the history of the United Order of Tents, a secret society that originated in the aftermath of the American Civil War. The strength of this multigenerational sisterhood is shown through an amalgamation of historical reenactments and contemporary sequences.

WHEN ANGELS SPEAK OF LOVE*

Dir. Helen Pea | 13 mins | 2021 | United States | English | Non-Fiction

When Angels Speaks of Love, is a ritual portrait of a Miami woman as she grieves her sister's passing and prepares for new life in Clearwater, Florida.

1:00 pm

FILMMAKER In Focus: MORGAN QUAINTANCE

Morgan Quaintance is one of the most vital artist filmmakers working today. His practice reflects a strikingly unique approach to film form, and his growing body of work sits at an arresting confluence of the personal and the political. Having screened two of his films at THFF20, we are pleased this year to present this focus on Quaintance featuring three new and recent works.

SURVIVING YOU, ALWAYS

Dir. Morgan Quaintance | 18 mins | 2020 | United Kingdom | English | Experimental Non-Fiction

The transcendental promise of psychedelic drugs versus a concrete and violent experience of metropolitan living: these two opposing realities form the backdrop for an adolescent encounter told through still images and written narration.

MISSING TIME

Dir. Morgan Quaintance | 15 mins | 2020 | United Kingdom | English | Experimental Non-Fiction

Through a focus on alien abduction, cold war history, and Britain's colonial history, Missing Time considers the relation between amnesia, concealed histories, state secrecy, and the constitution of the self.

SOUTH

Dir. Morgan Quaintance | 28 mins | 2020 | United Kingdom | English | Experimental Non-Fiction

Taking two anti-racist and anti-authoritarian liberation movements in South London and Chicago's South Side as a point of departure, South presents an expressionistic investigation of the power of individual and collective voice. Interlinked with the filmmaker's own biography (time spent living in both London and Chicago), the film also considers questions of mortality and the will to transcend a world typified by concrete relations.

3:00 pm

STATELESS

Dir. Michle Stephenson | 96 mins | 2020 | Canada /United States/Haiti /Dominican Republic | Spanish with English subtitles | Non-Fiction

In 2013, the Dominican Republic's Supreme Court stripped the citizenship of anyone with Haitian parents, retroactive to 1929. The ruling rendered more than 200,000 people stateless, without nationality, identity or a homeland. Stateless traces the complex tributaries of history and present-day politics, as state-sanctioned racism seeps into mundane offices, living room meetings, and street protests. Anyone defending marginalized groups faces threats of violence. In this dangerous climate, a young attorney named Rosa Iris mounts a grassroots campaign, challenging electoral corruption and advocating for social justice. As Rosa balances her congressional run with her dedication to her family and community, the full scope of herfight is revealed.

STATELESS - PANEL DISCUSSION

Our screening of STATELESS will be followed by an extended in-person discussion with Stephenson, Rosa Iris Diendomi, and France Francois, founder and CEO of In Cultured Company, an organization that works on conflict resolution and reconciliation between Haitians and Dominicans. Moderated by Third Horizon filmmaker Monica Sorelle.

STATELESS will be screening both online and in-person at Prez Art Museum Miami.

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Third Horizon Film Festival Puts A Spotlight On Caribbean Creatives - Broadway World