The Study of Racialism

Spiral

Luso Trinidad
Filmaker looks at race in t&t
Roger Seepersad

Sunday, April 27th 2008

White Trinidadians have it easy, right?

This is the notion that 22-year old visual artist Alicia Milne is trying to dispel in her short film, Luso Trinidad: Home in the land of the homeless. The word 'Luso' means Portugese. In a film derived from her experiences of being Trinidadian and living in Trinidad, she illustrates what it is like to be part of a minority.

"People assume certain things about you if you are white," says Milne, "namely your financial situation, educational background and nationality. I am not saying that these assumptions are not true, but in many cases they are incorrect."

Milne incorporates her Portuguese background to con-

struct the narrative. "I am using the film as a platform to create awareness about the local Portuguese community. Little is known about them. I believe that greater awareness of these white Trinidadians will help to irradiate preconceived notions about the entire local white population."

The short film (5 mins and 33 seconds) will be screened along with other UWI Visual Arts students' films and animations at the National Museum and Art Gallery on May 9 at 7 p.m. The screening is part of the Visual Arts students' final year exhibition that runs from May 4 (5 p.m.) to May 10.

The above is the synopsis provided by Milne about her work. A former Holy Name Convent student, she is an artist currently in her third year of pursuing a BA in Visual Arts at UWI, St Augustine. She told the Express she began the research about a year ago, but actually put the film together within the past two months. The film starts with interviews and features a lot of footage of old family photographs from the 50s and 60s and her family allowed her to follow them around filming.

Her paintings and drawings have been exhibited in several group exhibitions throughout T&T. She lives at Santa Rosa Heights.

Below is her statement about her work:

"My work deals with issues of religion, prejudice and race relations. Due to my unique circumstances of growing up in Trinidad, I offer a different point of view on these delicate matters and contribute to the largely unvaried public discourse. All Caribbean people have been exposed in one way or another to prejudice.

"Racial conflict between what is commonly referred to as the 'blacks' and the 'whites' of the region is often assumed to be the 'whites' playing the role of the oppressors and the 'blacks' the oppressed. As someone who is considered to be 'white' that grew up in a predominantly 'black' middle-class community, I am living testament that racial prejudice can go both ways. Both the 'blacks' and the 'whites' are oppressed at the hands of the other, and at times by themselves. It angers and disappoints me that a fellow countryman could be made to feel as though he doesn't belong in his own homeland.

"The multicultural society of Trinidad and Tobago is full of religious fundamentalists and fanatics. These persons, who are so convinced in their beliefs, often discourage the exploration of any other belief system other than that of their own. This practice only perpetuates misunderstanding, segregation and prejudice within the society. For example my Roman Catholic parents would never allow my brother and I to attend the Divali and Eid-ul-Fitr school celebrations for fear of what spiritual attacks we may encounter. When questioned if I were to marry a Hindu man if she would attend the Hindu wedding ceremony, my mother replied that she would not, because it would not be a marriage recognised by God. I find these uninformed conclusions to be small-minded.

"I believe that many Trinidadians are so concerned with their own realities that there is no interest in the other. The other man. The other religion. The other culture. I use my experiences in these matters as tools to digest and expel my own insecurities. The work is a reflection on my own understanding of the misfortunate actuality of the space in which I live.

"The imagery found in my work is derived from the physical and social landscape of Trinidad and the experiences that take place in these spaces. My mediums of choice are paint (acrylic, emulsion, body paint) and fabric (canvas, cotton, cotton-blends). I produce some sculptural works made of plaster. I also produce a bit of film/video and animation work."

# Luso Trinidad

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_mix_mag?id=161315560