Bits and pieces of the masquerade. That’s what filmmaker Kristof West recently shared with his classmates at Utrecht University College (UCU), in the heart of the Netherlands.
West presented Fragments of Carnival, a short film that analyzes Carnival as a space of resistance, for the university’s student-led Honors program. The young artist has returned home not only with a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies from UCU, but also a premiere slot for his film at the upcoming trinidad+tobago film festival 2022 (ttff).
West’s Fragments of Carnival will be screened at 5.30pm on September 26, at Screen-10, MovieTowne, Port of Spain.
“Actually, this is my second application to the festival. In 2020 I debuted my film Waiting in Strange Times,” said an amiable West, ditching all talk of nerves, during a candid online exchange with Kitcharee on Friday.
Set in Trinidad during the government-mandated Covid-19 lockdown, his debut film explored space and time during a period of boredom, uncertainty, confusion and fear.
This time West, who also holds an International Baccalaureate from Li Po Chun, United World College in Hong Kong, says he feels a great sense of excitement to share Carnival Fragments. The project, a collaboration with Haitian artist Lynsey Laroche, allowed students from around the world to take an active part in making the masks.
“The film really came to life in order to document the mask making process, which was a workshop we ran to allow our classmates to participate in the creation of the MAS(K) that gave them the opportunity to take what they learned from the lectures and apply it. that in a physical means of resistance is the mask itself.
“I am very proud of the student-led Honors program as it was an invaluable experience that allowed us to learn what we want to learn. This is important to me as Carnival was not a topic of discussion in many of my classes, however very applicable to academic courses,” West explained.
The project proved a valuable “case study” for the topics of gender identity, music theory, racial identity, class, sexual identity, art, history, sociology and diplomacy, he said.
“We as a country must preserve, research and educate about carnivals. I’m not nervous, I’m excited about the conversations that this film will facilitate in highlighting opportunities to showcase our culture, not limited to tourism fairs,” West continued.
Stepping behind the camera
In his early years, West thrived in front of the camera as a member of the Lilliput Children’s Theatre. As a teenager, he was encouraged by his artist parents to apply for acting roles in television productions, voice over commercials and even appeared in Christopher Din-Chongs 2016 feature film Sanskara.
West, who turns 25 this month, is the son of Miss World 1986 Giselle Laronde-West and actor Heathcliff West.
“I will always remember my parents, both mum and dad, driving me to and from castings and rehearsals that sometimes went into the night. I loved being on set, the adrenaline, the attention, the drama, the love, the adaptability of the crew, who will literally break their backs to ensure the shot is executed,” he recalled.
While standing in front of the camera, West said he began to notice and take great interest in the roles played by moving figures off-screen.
“Being in front of the camera allowed me to better understand the role of director, cinematographer, gaffer, make-up artist. As I worked with all of them closely, providing me with useful insights, I discovered that I also enjoyed telling stories using the art of film,” he said.
So does he, like his father, have a committed future in film? Or maybe a career in art like his mother? West says he’s not limiting his options and considers himself “an all-around creator who paints, draws, dances, sings, films, photographs and writes.”
“I prefer not to be defined by medium as I enjoy the chance to try something new and my creative exploration was fostered at university. I lived in a shared house with seven other creators who all influenced and were influenced by each other. The future is unclear but I am clear on my life’s mission which is to continue to represent Trinidad and Tobago wherever my academic and creative endeavors may take me. Is Hollywood calling? No, but Trinidad is!” he concluded emphatically.
