People walk across the Rio Cobre in the vicinity of the dam by Crescent outside Spanish Town, St. Catherine in this file photo dated October 27, 2003.- ANDREW SMITH /PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
JAMAICA CONSISTENTLY, though maybe not as effectively as possible, sells itself as the land of wood and water, the description for which we were supposedly endowed with the name from the Tainos, courtesy of Columbus, et al.
So, it is intriguing that Jamaica (with bankra basket in hand and a beautiful wide grin) is happily dancing toward becoming the land of denuded hills and polluted waters. The 52-minute documentary, The Green Tunnel explores this issue.
The film was launched at the Palace Cineplex, Sovereign Centre, Liguanea, on Sunday, April 17. Written, directed and produced by Mary Wells, the film is a product of the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC) and was launched as a part of the institution's 21st anniversary celebrations.
GREEN RIVER
The film gets its name because it surrounds that snaking green river, the Rio Cobre, its watershed and other environs. However, it does more than wallow in talk about how pretty the river is and the breathtaking views one can get from the surrounding mountains. Instead, The Green Tunnel marries the river's history and the myths surrounding it with the environmental problems which plague it.
The documentary never bites as hard as it could, a fact which its writer/director admits. Nonetheless, the questions it does raise are important ones. Interestingly, Joan Andrea Hutchinson's role as narrator helps to give the piece an authentic Jamaican voice. However, her relaxed tone also keeps the film from being as cutting as it could be.
What was particularly impressive was that the main interviewee in the piece was Franklyn Brown, president of the Redwood Watershed Committee. Brown brought an insightful, balanced take on the problems facing the watershed area. Additionally, as the film followed him in his duties as farmer and committee leader, he was convincingly more than a talking head simply theorising. The Green Tunnel also features commentary from Diana McCaulay, CEO of Jamaica Earth House, representatives from the surrounding communities, Trade Winds Citrus company, Nestlé and WINDALCO.
The WINDALCO question was particularly intriguing and looped into last summer's spill into the river which devastated the earnings for the fishermen in the area. As the film highlighted, these men are looking for compensation for their loss of income. Outside of the spill, the documentary also pointed to other possible environmental hazards including a mysterious red stream which flows into the river. Indeed, the exploration of the WINDALCO question simultaneously marks the films weakest and strongest moments.
THE LOSER
One thing The Green Tunnel makes clear is that when economics whether for the small farmer or a large industry collides with the environment, the latter is often the loser. It also highlights that the country needs to take greater care of its environment. As McCaulay noted, the tendency to ignore the value of the country's "natural capital" and the economic effect of their loss is unacceptable. Of course, it may well be hard to convince some farmers to forego quick access to the almighty dollar while the Long Mountain
development sneers down mockingly at Kingston.
The film is available for sale at CPTC and will be televised later this year.
