TORONTO, Canada – Award-winning Guyanese filmmaker Mason Richards, who once described his short film The Seawall as his heart, continues to make his country and self proud.

In what is believed to be a first for a Guyanese filmmaker, Richards broke new ground when The Seawall was screened at the 36th Havana Film Festival (HFF) from December 4-14 last.

Officially known as the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, the Havana Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the region, and the largest in Cuba and last year saw a largely Cuban and international audience attending.

The HFF coincidentally ended just a few days after the United States and Cuba agreed to restore diplomatic ties severed more than 50 years ago, with US president Barack Obama calling for an end to the long economic embargo against its old Cold War enemy.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Richards disclosed that filmmakers and international celebrities from across Latin and South America were all in attendance at the festival, including famed actor Benicio Del Toro who received the honorary “Coral Award.”

Mason’s film The Seawall or “el Malecon” (translated into Spanish language for the prestigious HFF, initially had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011 and has since screened internationally throughout the Caribbean, London, Canada, and the United States to packed audiences.

The Seawall was presented in Cuba as part of a special showcase hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (TTFF).The showcase comprised of four feature-length and five short documentary and narrative films, all of which were selections at the TTFF/14.

The films represented a cross-section of the non-Spanish speaking Caribbean, and a number of them were TTFF/14 prizewinners. For the third year in a row, the TTFF presented “Caribbean Calling,” a showcase of Caribbean films, at the HFF.

“Once again, the TTFF is pleased to share films from our festival with our Cuban brothers and sisters,” said TTFF Programme Director Annabelle Alcazar. “Also, the directors of the films involved also get a chance to make fruitful connections with members of the international film industry who are at Havana, long considered a prestigious festival.”

The Seawall is a narrative short film shot entirely on location in Georgetown, Guyana, and centers around Marjorie, a Guyanese woman, as she prepares for her 10-year old grandson’s move to America to be with his mother. Struggling with loneliness, abandonment, audiences watch as Marjorie sacrifices her happiness for her grandson’s future.
The cast and crew consisted of local Guyanese non-actors, non-professionals and students working alongside Mason and his crew from Los Angeles. The film offers a rare glimpse into the day-to-day lives of a Guyanese family and stunningly captures how emigration affects those left behind.
Although heartbreaking, The Seawall is a fundamental story about hope and optimism. In addition to being Mason’s graduate thesis project at the renowned Film Directing programme at CalArts, the film allowed Richards to return to his home country, Guyana, to share what he has learned about filmmaking and tell a story “in the community – with the community… Guyana is a beautiful country with good people. I wanted to make a tonal film that captures the essence of a few people’s experience in the country I love so much.”
“In my film, the seawall is a symbol of separation between Guyana and the United States. It’s also a symbolic separation of families who leave their home countries to pursue a so-called ‘better life’ abroad and in America. It’s been amazing to be in Havana to screen the film because the Cubans can relate to the themes in the story. I’m thrilled that the Spanish- and English-speaking Caribbean communities can come together and relate through cinema. My Cuban brothers and sisters have been great hosts, and the country is classically beautiful.” says writer/director Richards.

In Guyana, the seawall is a 280-mile brick wall that runs along much of Guyana’s coastline, and all along the capital city of Georgetown. The wall protects settlements in coastal areas of Guyana, most of which are below sea level at high tide. Similarly, in Havana, the seawall called “el malecón” was built in the early 1900’s to protect Havana from the water and the so-called Nortes, but in reality, it wound up serving more for nighttime promenades by Habaneros, for lovers and most of all for individual fishermen. Also, similarly in Guyana, the seawall is a large social gathering spot for locals.

(By Frederick Halley)