CREATE

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

country through film - the actors, the music, the location, the culture, the ambiance of Caribbean is what we showcase to the world”.

for her industry there is still a long way to go towards being accepted in the financial arena as anything more than creative exploits. “Focus on the industry more and the creative less.” Remaining upbeat and enthusiastic, Lee hopes to be able to penetrate the world stage with The Coming of Org and her future productions. Caribbean music has infiltrated world arena and has in some cases “left a definitive mark for a long time, from Bob Marley onwards”. Admittedly there is great opportunity for music to do more but film has a much greater gap to bridge. Success stories of Caribbean film producers reaching international acclaim are limited. Lee harnesses her inspiration from award-winning Euzhan Palsy of Martinique, hailed as the first black female Director ever produced by a major Hollywood studio for the film A Dry White Season. Haitian-born Raoul Peck acquired international recognition for his film Lumumba: Death of A Prophet and would also pave a path for producers such as Lee to follow. Already busy working on her next venture, Lee holds the well-guarded secret plot close to her heart. Stating only that the series will “cross between two countries”, the air is already heavy with eager anticipation of what is next for the coming of Davina Lee.

Lee hopes that through this showcase the business of tourism is stimulated specifically as it relates to film. “The potential tourism impact, others coming to film in Saint Lucia, the Caribbean, is tremendous.” It is not a new concept, since major motion pictures have been filmed in the Caribbean before, including the recent blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean movie shot on location in Dominica. Still, it is an idea Lee hopes will populate and in the coming years be considered the norm rather than the exception. Projecting a timeframe of 5 to 10 years for the Caribbean film industry to be “booming”, Lee sees the potential for the Caribbean to position itself to be “like Mexico or Bollywood.” However, this is no small task as it requires the islands of the Caribbean to be considered as one regionally integrated market place. “More can be done in the region, we need more collaboration,” Lee says, “we must encourage working together.” One of the greater challenges faced by the young producer in creating The Coming of Org has not been partnerships however. On the contrary, Lee expressed profound appreciation for fellow Caribbean producer, Frances- Anne Solomon, observing Solomon was instrumental in bringing Caribbean Filmmakers together through her film incubators. Rather, the primary concern has been funding. Admitting that The Coming of Org stalled during production due to a lack of funds, the absence of financial support could easily have crippled the dynamic film. Traditional lending institutions require securities and sureties and are not accommodating to the entrepreneurial business model. “Film is an art yes, but it is also a business.” Yet Lee feels that

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