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CARIBBEAN EXPORT DEVELOPMENT AGENCY - CREATE 04FILM&Animation -thecomingoffilm

DAVINA LEE LEE PRODUCTIONS ST. LUCIA

In an independent report commissioned by the British Film Industry and released at the end of 2012, Oxford Economics stated that the core film industry had contributedmore than £4.5 billion pounds to the Gross Domestic Product of the United Kingdom in 2011. The report noted that “despite the on-going recession the UK film industry is thriving” and in addition to supporting an estimated 117,000 jobs, this segment of the Creative Industry was credited with also making an enormous contribution through exports, tourism, inward investment, promoting the national culture, merchandising and new technologies. The demonstrated success of this emerging industry comes as no surprise to Saint. Lucian film producer Davina Lee. The co-owner of Lee Productions noted that the diversification of film in the Caribbean is hugely important towards building the regional economy and the UK model is one Lee hopes to see duplicated in her home region. The call into this challenging field did not always resonate in Lee’s ears. “I wasn’t a film buff,” Lee admits, recalling she didn’t always have a passion for film, although her interest in the creative sector was evident as long as she can recall. “My sister (Esther Lee Leach) and I just wanted to be on television.” A simple enough ambition, but finding no existing opportunity to make this a reality, the two entrepreneurs created their own television series. It was through creating Vibe Central that Lee would discover she preferred a role behind the camera rather than in front of it. The production duo would go on to create the popular television series Access Caribbean and several music videos for Caribbean artists. It was against this background that Lee decided to undertake what would become the defining pinnacle of her career to date, the production of the short film The Coming of Org. The Coming of Org is a haunting 40-minute tale that shadows three characters as they face their inner demons. Based on the short story by Caribbean writer John Robert Lee, the producer’s father, the film boasts views of the rolling hills of Saint Lucia and is rich with referrals to folk stories and Caribbean music. The dialogue is predominantly French Creole, preserving the authenticity of the Saint Lucian characters. This was not a difficult choice for Lee who would not be swayed into using Standard English, ensuring her production would be a true representation of her Saint Lucian culture.

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