Dominica: Charting a Future for Paradise is a 2011 documentary short film about the history of the Commonwealth of Dominica and the challenges it faces as a young independent nation.
Social & External
The people behind it
Since August 2024, in Martinique, a popular protest movement against the high cost of living has been reemerging under the leadership of the RPPRAC (Rassemblement Pour La Protection Des Peuples Et Des Ressources Afro-Caribéens – Gathering for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources). On the island, food prices are on average 54% higher than in mainland France.* Through various cultural figures, the people of Martinique are expressing their anger and seeking concrete solutions. *Source: Kiprix, Price comparison between supermarkets in the French overseas territories and mainland France.
Halouver is a small community in the Northern Caribbean of Nicaragua. In November of 2020, two hurricanes divided the village in two and destroyed its infrastructure. Now, its villagers must decide between coming back and rebuilding their homes from the rubbles in spite of the risks that conveys or starting their lives somewhere else, leaving behind their lives in front of the sea. This documentary was made by Hora Cero.
In this high-concept visual essay, writer and broadcaster Lindsay Johns reframes the history of the Caribbean to tell a new story. Not the traditional narrative of suffering and adversity but a celebratory one of superheroes and epic wars, unceasing resistance and never-ending rebellion, told through the stories of four inspirational leaders and their modern-day spiritual descendants.
In early 1960s Toronto, a white, Anglo-centric city, an underground music scene emerged from the Jamaican diaspora, led by newcomers like Jackie Mittoo, Wayne McGhie, and a young Jay Douglas. Battling racism and indifference, they left a lasting but underrecognized mark on Canadian music and culture. Nearly 60 years later, Jay Douglas still champions Jamaican music and is finally receiving long-overdue recognition. Play It Loud is a feature documentary that tells the little-known story of how Jamaican music became a vital, unlikely part of Canadian culture. It traces a cultural migration that made Canada a global hub for Jamaican music - celebrated abroad but overlooked at home. Told through the life and music of beloved singer Jay Douglas, born Clive Pinnock in rural Jamaica, the film follows his journey from teen performer to enduring icon.
In the late 1990s, massive volcanic eruptions destroyed Montserrat’s infrastructure and leveled the island’s capital, Plymouth. Today, Montserrat’s 4,000 citizens are still coming to terms with this traumatic event. "Montserrat: Emerald of the Caribbean" explores how shared values—community, hope, faith—and traditions serve as sources of strength and identity for Montserratians as they rebuild their lives together. The film culminates in a portrayal of the sights and sounds of Montserrat’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival, a commemoration of African slaves who rebelled against their Irish slave masters on Saint Patrick’s Day, 1768. A unique blend of African, Caribbean, and Irish traditions, the Saint Patrick’s Day Festival represents the past, present, and future of a resilient people.
In this inspirational documentary we witness the contributions of nine remarkable women to the island of Aruba. Driven by their love of family and a passion for making a difference, they strive relentlessly to improve the socio-economic and cultural landscape of their beloved homeland. All without expecting anything in return.
What is the value of ocean biodiversity? Bloody Bay Wall is the top of a five thousand foot underwater cliff. A group of divers - including scientists and photographers - gather at Little Cayman Island in the Caribbean Sea to explore this spectacular underwater feature. Motivated by questions of human biology, coral reef ecosystems, and the stunning imagery of this marine park, their collaborations help illuminate the range of what rich marine life offers to humanity: now, and in the future.
The waterfront and agriculture of the Caribbean island of Grenada in the 1940's.
21 Days, based on the story of six young fishermen who left Gros-Islet fishing village on a routine fishing expedition and simply vanished. The young men disappeared on February 15, 1985, after they set out on a fishing expedition.
Tamara Drakulić sets off with her fiancé on a cargo ship headed to Hawaii to scatter her friend Tony’s ashes into the Pacific Ocean. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, ancient limit to what was once the known world, the ship reaches the Caribbean Island of Guadalupe.
This documentary explores the history and geography of Barbados, the easternmost Caribbean island.
The true story of naturalist Dean Bernal and his efforts to protect his friend JoJo: a wild, sociable dolphin in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
On July 18th of 1995, Montserrat's sleeping volcano rumbled back to life after hundreds of years of dormancy. This is the ten year story of that eruption and it's effects on the people of, 'The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean'.
A documentary about the domination of Caribbean television by programs from the North, primarily the US. Proceeding from the observation that television in the Caribbean is overwhelmed by US and French programs, this film ambitiously weaves together interviews, indigenous poetry and music with clips from imported French and US television programs to show how Caribbean viewers receive a distorted view of the world that alienates them from their own cultural heritage. Also included is a glimpse of how Cuba has tackled the problem, featuring an interview with Cuban film director Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, and the US response in the form of Radio and TV Marti. This is part of the Developing Stories Series on Environment and Development. Starweek Magazine called it "An astonishingly searing look at TV."
Juxtaposed to the hustle and bustle of city life on the diminutive Caribbean island of Dominica, Jerry Maka West works his garden in the island's lush interior, his Zion, growing and preparing his food just as his grandparents once taught him. Jerry is Nom Tèw, Man of the Soil.
Disenchanted by the modern world, Michael Lees heads into the forest of Dominica with some basic survival gear, religious texts and a camera. "Why did man ever leave the forest? And what makes for a good life?" Just as he starts to acclimatize to his new life - the unexpected; Category 5 Hurricane Maria, one of the top ten strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history, makes a direct landfall. Michael is caught out in the open in a palm leaf and bamboo hut. With the nation in ruins, the forest destroyed, and essential services knocked out islandwide, the entire country must now return to a past way of life if they hope to survive.
A rampant, street level story of mentorship and everyday heroism in tough circumstances. An inner city coach's son, estranged in his youth from his father, spends five years on ball fields in inner city Oakland and Havana, following the lives of two extraordinary youth baseball coaches, Roscoe in Oakland and Nicolas in Havana. The coaches meet on videotape and two years of red tape later, Coach Roscoe and nine Oakland players travel to Havana to play Coach Nicolas' team. For one week, the players and coaches eat, dance, swim, argue and play baseball together. But when the parent of an Oakland player is murdered back home, it brings back the inescapable reality and challenges of life in an American inner city.
Coral biologists are concerned about the genetic health of many endangered coral. This short film follows a team of Smithsonian scientists as they attempt to use cryopreserved coral sperm to introduce DNA to new populations of elkhorn coral. If this technique works, it could have lasting impacts on how we are able to protect and restore endangered coral species from near extinction.
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
A documentary about the making of season five of the acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad.
Never-before-seen footage and survivor accounts trace the 2012 shipwreck of a luxury cruise and the disaster that ensued, in this immersive documentary.
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
For the 20th anniversary of "Titanic," James Cameron reopens the file on the disaster.
A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision—an odyssey through landscape and time—that attempts to capture the essence of life.
A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.
Deep Blue is a major documentary feature film shot by the BBC Natural History Unit. An epic cinematic rollercoaster ride for all ages, Deep Blue uses amazing footage to tell us the story of our oceans and the life they support.
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories.
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
Performance artist Marina Abramovic prepares for a major retrospective of her work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
A look behind the lens of Christopher Nolan's space epic.
Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to spark global curiosity