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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.