Vincentian creative urges respectful film making among indigenous communities

Due to the enormous injustice that colonialism exacted on indigenous communities around the world, the need for respectful film making practises working within indigenous cultures is extremely important.

That is the view of local film maker, producer and director of the Hairouna Film Festival, Aiko Roudette.

One of Roudette’s productions was presented earlier this month at the Barbican Centre in the City of London as part the EFG London Jazz festival.

Roudette presented accompanying visuals for Cassie Kinoshi, bandleader of a 10-piece ensemble called “Seed”.

Kinoshi’s piece was performed with the London Symphony orchestra, and Roudette’s 25-minute video production, shot over seven days in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), was projected above the orchestra and accompanied the music as they (the visuals) were designed to complement the themes and emotion of the orchestral piece.

Roudette’s presentation showcased among other things, the rich culture of SVG which featured local Garifuna aficionado, Ulrica Gaymes, doing a traditional Garifuna dance (performed at the Owia Salt Pond), while the video also showed the ocean surrounding the multi-island chain, as well as its flora and fauna.

Children from Fancy engaged in dancing also was part of the presentation.

Kinoshi’s piece, called “Heart”, was inspired by anger over the lack of action around climate change, and the destruction of the beauty of the natural environment. It came off Jamaican writer and activist, Una Marson’s 1931 poem, “Nature’s Heart”.

“She is concerned with the impact of climate change on lower income communities and indigenous communities, and concerned with the neglect of preserving indigenous heritage,” Roudette said, while speaking about Kinoshi’s piece.

She said she was pleased to be part of such a production and wanted to bring out the cultural aspect of Vincentian life, the beauty of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) while also showing off the Garifuna people.

Roudette said while filming the piece, she incorporated a dance workshop into the production with assistance from Gaymes and Clyornique Durrant, a teacher at the Fancy Government School.

“As an ethical creative, I prioritise giving wherever I can when I create. Due to the enormous injustice that colonialism enacted on indigenous communities around the world, the need for respectful film making practises where it comes to working with indigenous culture is extremely important,” Roudette declared, as sge explained the decision to host the local Garifuna dance workshop.

“If as creators we end up using indigenous culture for our own careers, without giving back directly to the communities in the ways that we can, spending time with them, connecting with them, we are perpetuating patterns of power and extraction that carry hints and echoes of colonial abuse,” Roudette told SEARCHLIGHT.

She declared being an advocate for ethical film making practises.

“The images in this piece are a testament to the profound natural beauty of St. Vincent, depicting elements of our natural landscape such as the ocean, an array of trees and forest lands, a plethora of flowers.

“These images are combined and manipulated to accompany and compliment the emotion carried by the orchestral piece,” Roudette expounded.

“ Cassie’s piece “Heart” draws on the anger around world powers not taking sufficient action to address climate change, particularly felt by indigenous and lower income communities, who, whilst contributing the least to the climate crisis, are having to suffer the consequences.”

Roudette’s work continues to bring positive attention to SVG through initiatives like the Hairouna Film Festival, and her overseas representation which expose international viewers to Vincentian films.

In February 2023, she attended the Berlin International Film Festival- also referred to as the Berlinale, one of the top five most prestigious film festivals in the world. The local ambassador was chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to hold SVG’s mantle for the first time at this festival.

The Berlinale featured work from several locals including, Jamali Jack (the Digital Marketing Officer at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority and Chief Creative Designer at iMaculate iMagez); Tolga Akcayli (writer of the film “Too Lickrish”, selected at six international festivals); and Akley Olton (winner of the international Creative Activism Award from the Cultures of Resistance Network).

Last year, Roudette shot a music video for United Kingdom (UK) based rapper, Rhys Thomas “Mist” Sylvester (signed to Warner Music Group), his manager David O’Sullivan and award-winning music video director Nathan James Tettey. The song, “Pull up” features UK/Congolese rapper, “BackRoad Gee”. The music video was released in September 2023.

Also, last January, Roudette shot a second music video called “Tumbi”, this time for UK rapper “Ghetts”.