The first “Caribbean Festival of Image” is born

Photo: Marie-France Grugeaux-Etna

On the occasion of the public opening of the Memorial ACTe in Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), the first edition of the “Caribbean Festival of Image” was launched. 

This exhibition organized from July 10 to August 30, 2015 consisted of photographs and videos. In total, about thirty photographers from nine Caribbean islands decided to show to the public their own views of themselves and of the world.

Photo - Festival Caribéen de l'Image

The works arranged on wooden pallets were divided into four areas.

First, The Photographic Archaeology that is a presentation of the first private photos taken in the region, in particular those from the volume “West Indies” which belong to Keystone Company dating back to the beginning of the 20th century.

Then, The Family that had its photographs taken by a professional at important moments of life (birth, marriage etc.) to obtain a portrait, a group photo which became a memory.

20 images, 20 photographs was a tribute to the Guadeloupean photographer and promoter of this event, Daniel Goudrouffe, who shared to the public his shots  realized in the Caribbean and in New York, for years.

Finally, The New trends grouped current productions obtained, among others things, by the new technologies.

The second part of this first Caribbean Festival of the Image arranged in the temporary exhibition area of the Memorial ACTe was devoted to video. About twenty directors native of five islands offered 40 silent and audio movies in three themes : Traces – Imprints – Becoming.

Several conferences on various topics were held during the festival : The representation of Black Man’s talk in Film, led by the director Tony Coco-Viloin ; Slavery in Film by Carine Irénée (cinema surfer) ; Caribbean Photographic Identities by Daniel Goudrouffe (artist photograph) ; A look at the Caribbean Collective Imagination by Fabienne Viala (University of Warwick, UK) ; Bigidi and Video art : Between Traces and Imprints) by Lena Blou (choreographer), Jean-François Manicom (photographer, Festival organizer)…

The second exhibition of Caribbean images was not organized during this year 2016 but it is deeply awaited …

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Barbuda : Juan Maria Gomez, known as “Perro Amarillo”

Cuba : Pedro Abascal, José Alberto Figueroa, René Pena, Rafael Villares, Mabel Poblet

Dominica : Sheldon Casimir, Charles Louis

Guadeloupe : Steeve Cazaux, Charles Chalumeau-Rousseau, Yvan Cimadure-Mery, Laetitia Petreluzzi, Philippe Virapin

Haiti : Maksaens Denis, François Gasner, Josué Azor, Paolo Woods

Martinique : JeanBaptiste Barret, Robert Charlotte, Mario Gilbert, Shirley Rufin

Saint Martin : David Gumbs  

Saint Vincent & The Grenadines : Charles Louis, Ericson Joseph

Venezuela : Anabell Guerrero

DIRECTORS

Dominica : Aarmaï Augustine, Jevier Denzel

Guadeloupe : Sébastien Barthélémy, Steeve Cazaux, Collectif Cnou Menm, Guy Gabon, Klod Kiavue, José Manlius, Nicolas Mérault, Nicolas Nabajoth, François Piquet, Léa de Saint-Julien, Janluk Stanislas, Sandrine Trésor, Henry Tauliault

Jamaica: Calvin Walker

Martinique : Gilles Élie-dit-Cosaque

Saint Lucia : Davina Lee

Saint Martin : David Gumbs

Trinidad & Tobago : Nicole Brooks, Michael Chambers, Jeannette Ehlers