St Mary's College, more popularly known as CIC, will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2012. The school will mark the auspicious occasion with the production of a documentary entitled St Mary's College: 150 years of National Service. This one-of-a-kind film venture will be written, directed and produced by one of the school's past pupils, Christopher Din Chong.
"This film is going to be an historical document. So the contribution of both past and present students will be recorded and archived for posterity. "The priceless stories and advice from these men will be available for the benefit of future generations," he explained. It will be a 75-minute feature-length documentary that will be entered into a number of prestigious film festivals, shown on television, and eventually made available for purchase on DVD.
"St Mary's College: 150 years of National Service will explore the contribution of St Mary's College to the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, and the reasons why this institution remains the most esteemed college in the region. The institution will be showcased as the driving force that propelled timid boys into dynamic young men, armed with the resources necessary to compete and succeed on the world stage in any discipline."
The college has produced the country's first local governor, Sir Solomon Hochoy; first president, Sir Ellis Clarke; first president of the Senate, J Hamilton Maurice, and many former and current Members of Parliament. In the religious sphere, another notable alumnus, Archbishop Anthony Pantin, had the distinction of becoming the first local Catholic Archbishop of Port-of-Spain. Several "Hall of Famers" will be interviewed for this film, including Sir Ellis Clarke, and Michael Mansoor, executive chairman of First Caribbean International Bank.
Also featured will be Fr Ronald Mendes, principal of St Mary's; other past principals; sportsmen Clifford Roach, Ellis Achong and Charlie Davis; politicians Arthur Cipriani and J Hamilton Maurice; war veterans Esmond Farfan and Ulric Cross; and religious leaders Archbishop Anthony Pantin, and Fr Gerry Pantin.
All CIC alumni and interested people who wish to support this project are encouraged to contact Forward Ever Films at 221-0840, or members of the St Mary's Past Students' Union.