What does it take to build a successful film industry? Talent, drive, compelling stories, co-productions with more developed film sectors, or simply more financial, human, and infrastructural resources? There are many moving parts to the proverbial local film wheel or reel, and several practitioners and financiers have made it their business to invest in Trinbagonian content.
There was indeed a renaissance period for local content that featured productions like Calabash Alley, Turn of The Tide, No Boundaries, Men of Grey, Westwood Park, and a slew of foreign programmes that were filmed locally during the 1990s and 2000s. However, the time seems ripe for Trinidad and Tobago to finally receive its flowers as a destination for film and all its associated sectors.
Film embraces and stimulates the music industry, as well as the fashion, textile, and beauty industries. It impacts the transportation sector, promotes the cottage industries, food and pharmaceutical sectors, media, marketing, advertising, as well as hospitality and merchandising. Film is positioned as a unique medium, as it is exportable. It permeates places far and wide and shares sights, scenery, and stories with audiences who have access and are willing to tune in. It is the ultimate “Matryoshka doll” that encompasses everything and can effectively sell brand Trinidad and Tobago to the world. Steelpan, Calypso, and Carnival have been showcased and marketed to boost tourism and foster economic growth; however, film captures all art forms and has immense potential for revenue generation through its global distribution. Moreover, film provides a platform for local practitioners to tell our stories, so we can see a reflection of ourselves and embrace and celebrate all our cultural idiosyncrasies.
Actor, Writer, Producer, and Director Teneille Newallo explained that La Diablesse has employed sixty performers and over forty crew members. It has contributed to the revenue of several local businesses, including department stores, pharmacies, market stands, and specialised service providers, and has also connected its team with educational institutions and media houses.
La Diablesse was penned by Newallo in 2018 as her response to a then call for submission for a screenwriting competition. Ever the perfectionist, Newallo worked on the screenplay for six years; tweaking and tailoring it to ensure that it was air-tight in terms of characters, story, and scare. She enlisted the knowledge and services of Pauline Mark and Jolene Mendes to initiate the project in early 2022, and two years later, we can see the fruits of their labour.
La Diablesse tells the tale of a woman (Crystal) trapped in a colonial estate who is haunted by the folklore character. It is described as a “horror/thriller” film but will engage a wide audience. Folklore seems to be trending globally with films like Guatemala’s La Llorona (2019), Sweden’s award-winning Midsommar (2019), and the Apple TV series The Changeling (2023), which is rooted in Norwegian and American folklore. Netflix’s Brazilian drama series Invisible City was also captured as a top ten show in Trinidad and Tobago on the streaming platform when season two premiered back in 2023. Locally, the Film and Folklore Festival was created in 2019 to promote content that speaks to traditions, stories, and lore of Trinbagonian, regional and international cultures.
La Diablesse stars Shevonne Metivier, Teneille Newallo, Jeff ‘Will the Wolf” Wight, Arianna Rodas-Laing, Chanel Quesnel, Stephen Hadeed Jr., Anand Lawkaran, Bridget Rampersad and Lylah Persad. It also features veteran actors Penelope Spencer, Cecilia Salazar, and Arnold Goindhan. Overall, the cast reflects the diversity of Trinidad and Tobago in terms of our multi-ethnic society, and the crew comprises technical and creative practitioners who share a common goal of producing quality productions that resonate and can precipitate more opportunities for the Trinbagonian creative community.
The producers of La Diablesse– Teneille Newallo, Pauline Mark, and Jolene Mendes are all committed businesswomen and creatives, with solid understandings of the audio-visual sector. Each team member brings a unique skill, perspective, and insight to the project, and they are not to be underestimated.
La Diablesse has the support of the Sports and Culture Fund Board of the Office of the Prime Minister, The Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and the Arts, the National Gas Company Limited, Look Opticians, allRiDi, FilmTT, National Carnival Commission, Solo Beverages, KFC, Pizza Hut, Food Hall, Pita Pitt, Subway, Alliance Francaise and A.S. Bryden and Sons (Trinidad) Ltd.
The team is still looking for postproduction financiers. They can be reached at ladiablessefilmep@gmail.com and filmladiablesse@gmail.com.
