Dr. Laura Tanna is delighted to meet Dennis Francis, Trinidad and Tobago's High Commissioner and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.The 29th Francophone Film Festival is up and running.
The eagerly anticipated festival features films from Francophone countries, meaning those where French is the national language. The Palace Cineplex is the host for the festival this year. This move, according to Pierre Lemaire of Alliance Francais, shows the growth of the festival over the years. He emphasised the need for festivals like this to "understand and keep alive the creativity of the artiste."
embassy support
French Ambassador Francis Hurtut reaffirmed his embassy's support of the festival. He expressed pleasure that the union of Francophone countries has grown to include cooperation in areas such as science, culture, justice and peace. It was a special occasion for Belgian Ambassador Herman Portocarero because it was the first time the embassy was participating since its reopening late last year.
After guests enjoyed wine and other liqueurs outside the cinema, they sat down to enjoy the two works of the premiere night; a short, animated feature Ame Noire or Black Soul, and Neg Maron, or Black Maroon. Set in Guadeloupe, Black Maroon chronicles the life of Silex and Josua, childhood friends on the wrong side of the law, trying to find a way out of the poverty they live in. It's one of those tragicomic types of film which even kept this non-movie buff interested (take this interpretation with a full cup of salt; I ain't no film critic).
Guests who came out to see the films included Tamara Hill, Devon Yetman, Tanya Batson-Savage, Natalie Thompson, Franklyn 'Chappy' St. Juste, Ian Levy, Dr. Carolyn Gomes, Dr. Barbara Carby, Oswald and Marigold Harding, Stuart Fisher, Della Manley, Kay Osborne, Gilou Bauer, Carol Hart, Bryan Burton and Drs. Laura and Dhiru Tanna.
D.K.
