‘Topics in Film’ Panel Discussion with Kareem Mortimer, Jackson Petit, and Marinah Janello generated an interesting and productive discussion around ideas of representations in art, the media at large, and the LGBT community in Nassau.

The “camp” aesthetic, characterized by exaggerated representations of pop culture, caricatures and irony, was a particular topic of interest to the group because of its applicability to the Bahamian performing arts. Some forms of Bahamian “camp” were spoken about in connection to live performance. One audience member shared her experience as a queer comedian along with her view that comedy is a tool for spreading a message in a light hearted manner.

On the other hand it was concluded that the idea of creating Bahamian “camp” in film is something that has hardly been explored and its mention sparked interest within the panel and audience alike. One thing we all agreed on is that how we represent ourselves as caribbean and queer (LGBT identified) people is key and whether through comedy or drama, film or studio art, we all have our different stories.

I hope that this talk has opened the door for people to explore elements of “camp” in filmmaking and has inspired the community to present their own personal stories because in a world of individual experience there there is never just on portrayal.

Marinah Janello

Photos: (video stills) Matthew Cromwell