Documentary

“Before the Trees Was Strange,” took three years to coplete. Using footage shot over 30 years ago, the film uses family interviews, storytelling as well as poetry performances to tell a story of love and forgiveness within my family.

Director's statement

For many years I’ve been working with video and film, shooting footage of my family from 1988 that became a part of this film. I’ve always been interested in the process of filming and editing to create a story. In my early years in Boston, where I went to study music, I was aware that no one there knew about my cultural tradtions of The Bahamas and showing footage of my country was a good way to present some of that. It also started me as a professional storyteller, a way to share my story and the stories of my country.

As my poet friend Pat Rahming wrote, “culture is the way people live”

Before the Trees was strange

A documentary of family, love and forgiveness.

For more information and details about the documentary please look at http://beforethetreeswasstrange.com.

Included on the website is a guide for the film and a way for higher education institutions to use this film for screenings and lectures. The film and director are available for festival as well as virtual screenings and talk back sessions.

Below are a few samples of short films made by myself and my wonderful editor, Indrani Kopal who worked tirelessly on our feature length documentary. On the weekends when we took a break we made short films to feel that we had accomplished something from start to finish.