No Island Like Home, a documentary by Giulio Gobbetti, Jan Stöckel has been accepted into two Caribbean festivals.
This weekend it premieres at the Rincón Film Festival in Puerto Rico and is eligible for an audience award.
Stöckel told Discover Montserrat they are “and we are very very happy” about the chance to share their work and Montserrat’s story with new audiences.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions the Puerto Rico festival is happening exclusively online and will be available from August 7 to September 6 for viewing.
“This could be a great opportunity for people in Montserrat to watch it and also for people on other Caribbean islands to watch a film about Montserrat and talk about it,” Stöckel added.
Local viewership of the film was restricted at its screening in March at the aborted St. Patrick’s Festival.
Coming in September, No Island Like Home is slated to be part of the lineup for the Trinidad & Tobago International Film Festival. Screening times have not yet been confirmed.
Film Summary: After a devastating volcanic eruption in 1995, the beautiful Caribbean island of Montserrat experienced a mass exodus. But many refused to leave, despite the social and economic destruction the volcano caused. Can a community torn apart by the force of nature ever truly recover?
More than two decades ago, the volcano in Montserrat exploded with catastrophic consequences. Although many years have since passed, Celeste vividly remembers the eruption. She lost her life’s work: the shop she owned on the island’s capital. Today, where her shop once stood, lies an ash-coated ghost town. However, much like the regrowth of vegetation across the land, the community has a new-found vitality.
Youngsters race cars on abandoned streets, taking back what the volcano stole from them. Mappie, a gardener, hikes with us through the thick rainforest: “The volcano does a range of good and bad” he says. “People thought Montserratians would have left. But I’m staying.” Yet, the volcano, under observation by scientists, lurks menacingly in the background. As everyday life unfolds, the most awaited day of the year arrives – St Patrick’s day. It is a litmus test: will people fill the streets, resilient? Or will the streets remain empty, signalling a community broken beyond repair?
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https://watch.eventive.org/rinconfilm/play/5f1a2811e4413f0029d77d1e
Viewers in the United Kingdom and Trinidad & Tobago will not be able to see the film due to rights restrictions.
