I am tempted to say that the T&T documentary Art Connect is amazing, but that seems like an understatement.The winner of both the People's Choice Award and the Best Documentary in the 2014 T&T Film Festival, Art Connect is a rare look at how creativity transforms taciturn, unconfident and sad youths into articulate, confident and happy individuals.
It is an invaluable look at Laventille through the eyes of students from Success/Laventille who had the courage to step out of their comfort zone and participate in a multi-tiered creative project that included songwriting, dancing, filming and drawing.What is most noticeable is how these students learned to channel their fear, sadness and anger into creative expressions that clearly gave them a sense of hope.
These brave students represent a community that many people are willing to write off as hopeless. It is impossible to watch Art Connect and not feel a genuine sense of hope for these teenagers and places like Laventille.
At the same time, we can't help but fear for their safety and their wellbeing. Clearly these teenagers face danger and oppression. In an area where gangs, drugs and guns reign, these students seem fragile and vulnerable. There are many heart-wrenching and sobering scenes that show just how much these teenagers must fight to survive.
One scene that particularly touched me showed the students happily painting a wall with artist Wendell McShine while people driving by shouted out that their art was ugly or for the teens to stop painting on the wall.
Viewers will sense just how much life is stacked against these students and how unsupportive adults can be and yet these teenagers triumph and offer invaluable lessons of hope, love, togetherness and creativity.
In less capable hands, Art Connect could have been a very maudlin film, downright difficult and depressing to watch, and yet viewers find themselves laughing and celebrating. This takes nothing away from the serious message of this film: namely how difficult it is to overcome stereotypes and prejudices in places like Laventille, and how difficult it is for these teenagers to trust and overcome the pain that has come to define their lives.
The message of just how invaluable these teenagers are to the development of a community like Laventille is captured and indeed enhanced by the stunningly professional work and dedication of the adults involved in this documentary.
Art Connect is a technically superb and captivating documentary because of the work of Spanish director Miquel Galofre, who tells an extraordinary story in every frame of the film. Galofre has a rare talent for elevating peripheral images to defining images so that a frame is about more than the subject.
Galofre also knows how to capture the very essence of his subjects so that viewers feel as though they are penetrating the fa�ade that even the toughest subjects present. Witness Isis in the first scene of Art Connect. She is a guarded, sad and painfully shy subject. By the end she is confident, almost regal, outgoing, expressive and happy. Galofre's shots of these teens make us feel their transformation.
Equally important is executive producer Charlotte Elias's decision to present "real" children as opposed to glossy images.Most directors and producers might have been tempted to protect these teenagers by cutting out some of the hurtful or painful things they express. There is a fine line between revealing information and exploiting difficult or painful situations. Galofre and Elias never cross that line.
Much of the success of this documentary rests on the shoulders of Elias, who took on the role of executive producer in a most loving and professional manner. No one wants that job. It is difficult, thankless, tedious and discouraging, but she did it with grace and grit, finding the necessary funds not only to complete this film, but present it in a world-class package.
This project also depended on some caring artistes who inspired the teens. Muhammad Muwakil was most impressive for his passion and compassion as well as his boldness in putting Education Minister Dr Gopeesingh on the spot at the grand opening of Art Connect in the Film Festival at Movie Towne. Muwakil stood up for a more creative curriculum in schools.
Gilline McDowell, a highly creative and caring English teacher at Success/Laventille, is an inspiration to all educators. Her commitment to her students goes above and beyond the call of duty. She was the footsoldier in this endeavour, managing the project while the cameras were off.I know Gilline and I find her an awesome, upbeat, inspirational person. I am proud to call her both a comrade and a colleague.
Over 500 people have already contacted Elias about being involved in or using the creative model from Art Connect in other schools."People feel compelled to action," she says with great satisfaction.Now, it just a matter of not losing sight of what we all need to do: give youth a chance to flourish through creativity.