In anticipation of the Spring 2014 issue of The Missing Slate, which will boast a distinctly Caribbean flavour, we’ve caught up with Davina Lee, one of the region’s leading filmmakers. She talked to us about her new short film ‘The Coming of Org’, which screened at Cannes Film Festival last year to widespread acclaim.
The Coming of Org is based on a couple of short stories written by your father, and it’s steeped in the folklore of St. Lucia. How have your background and upbringing shaped you as an artist?
I grew up in a very creative household. My mom is a writer and a photographer, while my dad is a writer and drew a lot when I was younger, so my creativity was nurtured at a very young age. I was always encouraged to pursue whatever I was passionate about, which was usually something creative. My mom’s stories were based on Saint Lucian folklore and ‘The Coming of Org’, written by my dad, also has many aspects related to our folklore. I always knew I wanted to make a movie based on my dad’s story and that’s before I even became a filmmaker. It is so visual and the story played out in my head many times.
In the film you visualise an internal conflict between your characters and their “org”. What does that word signify for you?
The word “Org” when I say it, even now, is somewhat scary to me. It’s something ugly, something we don’t want to see, but we all must face it.
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