Painting the Spectrum Film Festival
Painting the Spectrum and Festival, a Signature Cultural Event by the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination – SASOD
An excerpt of a conversation with SASOD Co-Chairs, Joel Simpson and Ulelli Verbeke. By Cases Rebelles. Photos by Ulelli Verbeke
Joel Simpson: In 2003, the Guyana Parliament was considering whether or not to include sexual orientation as a ground for discrimination in our Constitution. Myself and a group of like-minded students decided to formed a student lobby group to advocate for the passage of the amendment that would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation in Guyana’s constitution, because it meant that there would be legal protection from discrimination for homosexuals and bisexuals – and heterosexuals alike – in the Constitution. We weren’t successful in getting that amendment passed simply because the parliament didn’t vote on it when it came up for debate. They just kind of shelved it. We decided that we would continue our efforts to advocate, especially for legal protections for LGBT people in Guyana.
I started SASOD when I was in a second-year university student in 2003; and in 2004 I graduated and a few of the initial people involved, and still remain involved, also graduated that same year by 2004-2005. So we were no longer students, but we were still organizing under the SASOD banner, and we decided to re-name from Students Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination, to Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD). Our initial focus was community mobilization, getting people to come out and speak out about LGBT rights in Guyana, kind of like of challenging that stigma. So we organized support groups and discussion meetings, just to get people comfortable with talking with each other – as LGBT people and friends, relatives and allies of LGBT people.
After that, we decided that we wanted to do more public education. So in 2005, we decided to host the first LGBT Film Festival in the English-speaking Caribbean and in October of that year, we had the first festival, Painting the Spectrum here in Georgetown. This festival is our signature calendar event that goes on every June – it has been a staple on SASOD’s calendar at a point where SASOD is turning 11 and the Film Festival is in its 10th year.
Our first venue for the Film Festival was at a place called Sidewalk Café, in Georgetown. Every June for the past 9 years, we host the Film Festival with screening a couple times a week. At the Film Festival, what we do love is to have discussions after the screenings so that people get to interact, and we get to learn how they are thinking. We will lead discussions, ask what they thought about the films; sometime attendees will share personal stories as well. Last year we had the Producer of the documentary “You Are Not Alone,” Guyanese-American Antoine Craigwell join a post-screening panel with the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Guyana, Bishop Francis Alleyne, and out, gay Guyanese-born singer, Nhojj. It was a big year for us since we were celebrating SASOD’s 10th Anniversary. In addition to the Film Festival we had a photo exhibition, a documentary launch and we had Nhojj headling our “SASOD at 10” concert at the Sidewalk Café, along with other local artistes.
Ulelli Verbeke: With regard to curating films, we read reviews and we also review movies ourselves. We try to do documentaries, mainstream movies, small budget movies… It’s hard to source movies, but we do our best. Before all movies are shown we review them or ask people to review or ask their suggestions, ask what they would like to see.
The atmosphere at the Festival has changed; in the beginning there was a lot of curiosity, people will come, not being sure – or coming but not telling their friends that they were coming to or bringing friends – afraid of the ridicule. At one time, we had spectators from sections of the religious community who attended the Festival and tried to say it was wrong. Now it is more festive, more celebratory. More young people coming out – I don’t know how it’s going be this year. We don’t know yet where we will host the Festival; for the past 9 years it was at the Sidewalk Café. Sidewalk might not be available this year because their circumstances have changed. We are trying to get a nice venue because this year is the 10th annual Painting the Spectrum, which is quite a milestone.
This year, the plan is to take the Film Festival out of Georgetown, again, to other locations across the country later in the year, if we have the resources to do it.
