Caribbean IFF: A Different Light

Tensions rumble underneath sunny exteriors in this touching collection of hopeful stories.

Dorlis (Martinique/Guadeloupe)
Director: Enricka MH
25 mins
Nora, a 15-year-old Martiniquan teenager, has to follow her mother and 6-year-old little sister, to the north of the island, to provide daily care for her grand-father, paralyzed since a recent stroke. Very soon, the atmosphere of the house and Henri’s presence make Nora’s childhood memories resurface, embodied in the fear of an aggressive evil mind.

Too Autistic for Black (Jamaica/UK)
Director: Talisha Johnson
6 mins
An insight into what it's like to be black, British and marginalised in the autism discourse. Presenter Tee Cee talks openly about her own personal experience.

Bicycle Island (Cuba/USA)
Director: Mitra Elena Ghaffari
22 mins
Bicycle Island (A Donde Nos Lleva) weaves vignettes and artistic explorations into a contemporary mosaic of Havana’s bicycle culture, positioning the bicycle as a reclaimed mobility tool and critical resource for the future of the island.

Felt But Never Glimpsed (Bahamas)
Director: Clavia Aaliyah McClain
6 mins
Challenging the touristic gaze, Felt But Never Glimpsed explores the notion that the ordinary is extraordinary. With the notions of Paradise generally overshadowing the mundane, the filmmaker seeks out the real and worthy aspects of Caribbean living, reclaiming organic experiences and perceptions in order to celebrate it authentically.

Children of Mavungu (Suriname/Netherlands)
Director: Mirjam Marks
68 mins
Deep in the jungle of Suriname is a mysterious world full of rituals and forest gods, of which Mavungu is the most important for children. During their last primary school year, three tough and adventurous youth grow up in one of the far-flung villages, established by the enslaved to escape Dutch colonial rule. This film captures the young teens peering towards possible futures beyond the village, to leave behind their vibrant yet diminishing culture.