10 Caribbean Films You All Should Know About
The last ten years have been exciting. We’ve seen the incredible growth of Bollywood, Nollywood and even Ghanaian cinema, but what about the films that have come from the Caribbean? We had a look at caribbeanfilm.com to see what had been produced in the region since 2006.
Boleto al Paraíso — A Ticket to Paradise (2010) — Cuba
A teenage girl runs away from her incestuous father, and meets a rebellious rocker and they decide to run away from home and leave Havana in search of paradise. Set along the backdrop of a the early 1990s struggles in Cuba, the pair, Eunice and Alejandro, encounter hardship leading them to consider doing the unthinkable to be admitted to a hospice — infecting them selves with HIV. A tale of love, sadness and desperation with the overarching theme of hope.
Here’s the trailer:
Better Mus’ Come (2010) — Jamaica
In Kingston, Jamaica, in the late 1970s, the two main political parties, Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP), enlist the support of gangs to enforce their policies and advance their political agenda. Young Ricky is a community leader whose gang is aligned to one party. One day he meets Kamala, who belongs to a community controlled by the other party, and the two instantly connect. Will their love triumph, or will bigger forces win the day? Based on true events. Words courtesy of Caribbeanfilm.com
View the trailer here:
Cristo Rey (2013) — Dominican Republic
We all know about the tense race relations that are happening in the Dominican Republic between the government and those of Haitian descent. The film revolves around Haitians and Dominicans living in the Santo Domingo slums, where the two groups are at violent odds in a turbulent political and social climate. Janvier and Rudy are half-brothers who are fighting for the love of the same woman. Because of his Haitian roots, Janvier is recruited by the drug trafficking gang that rules the Cristo Rey barrio. (English, French, Kweyol, Spanish)
Here’s the trailer:
Case Depart (2011) — France, Martinique
This is the story of two brothers from two different Parisian lives: one being mixed race, a council worker, married with a daughter…the other, a recent detainee, lives in the HLMs of Paris with his mother. When his father takes ill and is on his death bed, they are summoned to Martinique where they are to receive his will but when an argument breaks out between the brothers, the pair are transported back 200 years to the days of slavery on the island. (French)
Here’s the trailer:
La Première Etoile (2009) — France, Martinique
What happens when you take a black family to the mountains? All hell breaks loose. This is the story of a Martinican family who want to experience the winter, and very expensive, recreation of skiing in the French Alps. Prepare to laugh your till your side aches. (French)
Here’s the trailer:
God Loves The Fighter (2013) — Trinidad and Tobago
Charlie is a young man seeking to make ends meet on the streets of Port of Spain. Reluctantly, he takes a job from a gang leader as assistant to a drug courier. This is how he meets Dinah, a prostitute, who works for the fearsome Putao. Dinah convinces Charlie to escape with her, in a move that triggers serious consequences. Shot in an urgent and unflinchingly gritty style, “God Loves the Fighter” is an honest yet sympathetic tale of real life as lived in contemporary urban Trinidad. (Words by Caribbeanfilm.com) (English)
Here’s the trailer:
Pay Day (2013) — Barbados
Payday, a Barbadian comedy-drama/buddy film showcasing a raw slice of Barbadian community life. Romie, an aspiring mechanic and ladies man, with his brutally honest best friend Pack, invest their entire salaries in a down-payment on a garage. Their goal: to establish a successful mechanic’s shop to get away from their boring jobs as security guards, their loving yet eccentric and demanding families, and poor standard of living in their village — Pickletons. Their simple task of making the down-payment to the garage owner at the village lime that night is hilariously complicated by Romie’s love-life, and Pack’s love for cannabis. The complications and laughs multiply as the best friends go to extremes to avoid violent drug men, a charity collector, crazy ex-girlfriends and other wacky villagers. — by IMDB (English)
Here’s the trailer:
Keeping Up With The Joneses (2014) — Barbados
Based on Barbados’ first ever sitcom, Keeping Up With Joneses, comes the movie. Centred around the Jones family: Irving Jones, his wife Angela, their daughter Tracy and son Nathan, who are stars in a reality show called “Life & Times” in the Caribbean. When the Joneses are kidnapped all is thought to be lost. That is until Angela’s mentally ill brother, Anderson, and three friends from Green Meadows Mental Institution go on a mission to save them. (Words by Caribbeanfilm.com)
(English)
Here’s the trailer:
Rain (2008) — Bahamas
Determined to reconcile with the mother who abandoned her when she was just a toddler, a Bahamian adolescent boards a local mail boat and sets sail for Nassau in director Maria Govan’s intimate family drama. Rain has lived a sheltered life on Ragged Island, but now the death of her grandmother has forced her to get out and explore the world on her own. Upon arriving in Nassau the young girl is overwhelmed by the sights of the big city, and soon finds her idealistic illusions shattered when she witnesses firsthand just how deviant and destructive her mother’s lifestyle has truly become. — By IMDB (English)
Here’s the trailer:
200 Cartas (2013) — Puerto Rico
200 Cartas is a romantic comedy about the life of a Puerto Rican born in NY. One night, Raul meets Maria, a young Puerto Rican woman visiting New York. The night of their encounter, something dramatic happens and they are suddenly separated. Struck by love at first sight, he travels to Puerto Rico in search of this beautiful girl. This adventure will have him traveling around the island in search of his love. — By IMDB (Spanish, English)
Here’s there Trailer:
