Limbo A European film with Caribbean flavour

In the lovely setting of MovieTowne’s Casablanca Room, I found myself surrounded by members of 15 European countries. The  hors d’oeuvres and desserts reminded me of just how rich, both European culture and cuisine can be. The annual European Film Festival’s 15th edition was launched on October 18. For the last 15 years, Europe has been sharing her life-style and filming techniques with us.
The EFF is an eye-opening and culture widening event, especially since Trinidad and Tobago was once a colony of Spain, France and England.

This year’s 31 movies are from the following countries: Cyprus, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Latvia, Portugal, Romania and the United Kingdom. Each of these countries has its unique spin on the famed European culture and therefore, each movie can teach us a little about it.

I, personally, look forward to the flavours, the scents and the sights of worlds that I have not yet been able to venture to. Some may read that statement and think: “What can you taste and smell from a movie, besides the popcorn?” My answer to this unasked question is: you would be surprised what sensations you can experience from a well-made film.

The first film – Limbo
Limbo is a Norwegian movie that was filmed in Trinidad and for a short part, in Norway. I was instantly intrigued by the thought of a foreign film being shot in my country. Even more exciting was the thought that the movie was set in the 1970s. Having been born in the early 1990s, I had only an imaginative view of what this country might have looked like then. I was interested in how they would go about making the country look like it was in a different time period. I was even more interested in whether or not I would see anywhere that I might recognise. I did. The film was about a Norwegian woman and her two young children. Her husband Jo, had been away for an extended period on a three-year contract in Trinidad. Finally, moving to Trinidad with the children, she finds it hard to adjust. The climate is different, the lifestyle is different and worst of all, her husband might have been cheating.

It is a story of how one woman copes with the emotional trauma of being away from home and dealing with a society and environment with which she is not familiar. It was amazing to see this island from a totally different point of view. It felt as though I was looking at myself through Norwegian eyes. I was also quite proud of our Trinis’ performances. The acting was world-class and they fit their roles like a tailored suit. I am patiently awaiting more of the films and will be writing reviews on them as they come. I urge all of our islanders to take a viewing of at least one of these films. There is something for everyone. Genres including drama, comedy, romance/comedy, youth/ fantasy and family all form part of the 31 films that will be on show. At a box office asking price of only $15 per head, what do you have to lose?