Dear Colleagues,

Our next Caribbean Politics event will be a free showing of the documentary German Town: The Lost Story of Seaford Town Jamaica at 18:30 on 30th January 2015 at Senate House, London, in partnership with the Institute for Modern Languages Research, University of London.
German Town: The Lost Story of Seaford Town Jamaica attempts to capture the story of a declining group of German-Jamaicans before they are forgotten forever. This documentary is a must see for anyone interested in research methodologies, languages and etymology and Caribbean personal, historical and political research.
You can view the trailer by going to the link here: http://youtu.be/BFeETh7pKRk.

The film explores how a changing political identity is affected by being Caribbean, of German ancestry and white-skinned; especially post emancipation, post Napoleonic War and post Nazism. It also illustrates the legacy of political and military history and how uncertainty can leave people emotionally and political isolated, lost and vulnerable to political accusations.

Who are these German-Jamaicans? How did they get there? What was their purpose? What is their political identity and national allegiance? How important is it for us to hold on to our heritage when we become part of another country? And what happens if we don’t? All these questions and more are explored in the documentary which taps into all of our migrant heritages.
David Ritter the Director states: 'Being of German heritage myself, Seatown simply struck a chord with me and awakened some kind of cultural affection I have for history and things relating to German culture. As I am a small minority in Jamaica, the question of my light skin comes up in conversation almost daily. Having the question come up so often made me ponder the subject of heritage and culture and how it applies to us in a contemporary sense.

While driving around on Jamaican Independence Day there were speeches from black nationalist speakers on the radio. All had very important things to say, but Malcolm X’s words pierced my heart: "If you hate the roots of the tree you hate the whole tree because the tree cannot live without its roots!" It summed up my entire experience.'

Technology pending, we will also have a live transatlantic Q&A with the Director.

** Further details can be read here: https://www.psa.ac.uk/psa-communities/specialist-groups/caribbean-politics/events/forgotten-faces-jamaica.
Please register early as places are limited.
To register please contact Manjeet Sambi on 020 7862 8826 or email her on [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])
Karen Hunte
Chair, Caribbean Politics
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