In Hindi, “cheenee” means sugar—the resource behind the forced relocation of thousands of Indians to Trinidad and Tobago as indentured servants in the nineteenth century. Cheenee is the story of how Indian immigrants struggled, and later flourished, building communities and developing distinct architectural styles in the Caribbean.
Cheenee, is a documentary researching and exploring the culture and history of Trinidad and Tobago. The film, aesthetically, is informed by architecture, dance, and still photography theories and practice. The film is a mixture of narrative documentary and contemporary dance.
Director Biography – ANDREAS ANTONOPOULOS
Andreas Antonopoulos has worked across fiction, documentary, experimental, and animation films. He has produced film work in Greece, the UK, and Trinidad and Tobago. Andreas is a film lecturer who taught film at Napier Edinburgh University in the UK, Leeds Beckett University in the UK, and the University of West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago.
Director Statement
The film employs a direct narrative structure derived from the participants’ accounts. However, it diverges from conventional styles by eschewing traditional talking head interviews. Instead, it explores how body movement and architectural elements serve as mediums for conveying ideas to the audience. In collaboration with choreographer Deboleena Paul, we endeavored to articulate, through movement, the vitality, resilience, and sheer determination to survive exhibited by the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Furthermore, the film utilizes space and architectural elements to narrate the region’s rich history and cultural fusion.
Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AltBWI-zI98
Interview
| ANDREAS ANTONOPOULOS Director, Producer DEBOLEENA PAUL Producer, CHOREOGRAPHER |
