The first ever historical and cultural film on Anguilla, climaxing with the much celebrated 1967 revolution, is to be the island’s highlight presentation at the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) which will be held in Guyana from August 22-31. A premiere of the short film entitled Our Anguilla was shown at the Soroptomist Club Centre late last week with a capacity crowd in attendance.

Film maker Crispin Brooks

The film, created and directed by Crispin Brooks, Managing Director of Rosell Media, was produced in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development. It featured throughout two young school children, Varlon Reid and Shauna Kae Lake, who dramatised several short chapters of the island’s rich history acting out various scenes and portraying a number of persons drawn from several walks of life.
The film captured such periods of Anguillian history as the Arawak Indians, the British Settlement, Slavery, the Santo Domingo Run, Boat-racing, the Jollification and the Anguilla Revolution with two of its most dramatic features being the disruption of the Statehood Queen Show and the guarding of the island’s beaches, by groups of fiercely loyal men, to stave off an expected invasion from St. Kitts.
Noted Anguillian historian, Colville Petty, OBE, thought that the film captured the history of the island very well and found the scenes, especially the one depicting the revolution, very real. He had high commendation for Mr. Brooks and the actors including the two children through whose eyes the film was produced.

Some of the 32 delegates to CARIFESTA

Crispin Brooks, the film maker, told The Anguillian that he was approached by Davon Carty, CEO of Anguilla Music Production and Publishing, about the possibility of creating a film for CARIFESTA. “I was given the guidelines: a historical film having to do with Anguilla,” he said. “I decided to do a children’s film [because] there is a disconnection between generations. I think that if more children know their history there can be a change in their behaviour and an appreciation for the past. Taking up Davon’s recommendations, and with the Planning Committee putting all of it in my head, I came up with Our Anguilla.”
The young film maker is the son of Anglican Bishop the Rt. Reverend and Mrs. Errol Brooks. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from Howard University in Washington, DC and is completing a Master’s Programme in Film at American University. “I am currently and feverishly working on my thesis which will be a top secret documentary,” he stated. “Hopefully I will finish up and graduate in May, and hallelujah.”
Asked about Rosell Media, the name of his company, he said it was a combination of his parents’ names. He saw it as a tribute to them for their financial and emotional support for him to attend university and to study film – a rare discipline in the Caribbean region. He said one other student from the US Virgin Islands, whose mother is an Anguillian, also studied to be a film maker and had gone on to be a brilliant cinematographer. “I think as more and more people see the products they will go for them. Anguilla is now ripe for it,” he added.
Mr. Carty commented: “I saw Crispin’s work and I thought it was magnificent. Going to CARIFESTA, I thought it was about time that we had something else to put in the pot. This will be my second attendance there. I believe we should invest in our people and give them a chance to grow. That was really the impetus for my suggestion that we should introduce a short film at CARIFESTA.
Anguilla’s Presentations

Section of the audience at premiere of film

Anguilla’s Director of Youth and Culture, Joash Proctor, gave details of the island’s presentations at CARIFESTA in a brief interview by The Anguillian. There will be two musical bands: Concepts Band, a trio group comprising Ruel Richardson, John Brooks (Ras J) and Curtis Robinson and the Super Fly String Band which will be playing a number of folklore pieces; Calypso Monarch, the Mighty Springer; the Klassique Dancers; Louise Brooks and Maqueda Jackson, two local artists who will be displaying their work; a culinary team of four young persons comprising Jordel Gumbs of CuisinArt Resort & Spa, Jervon Delaney who works at Picante and Andy’s; Selwyn Horsford, a student at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School and Anneke Perkins, a chef at Veya; two fashion designers: Janay Reymond and Alexis Ryan among others including the team’s management. The head of the contingent is Dr. O. M. Linda Banks whose deputy is William Vanterpool. The Media Liaison person is Felicia Hennis, Information Officer at Radio Anguilla.
The Anguillian delegation left the island on Wednesday this week and should largely return home by September 1.

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