Peter Williams in tha house

This week we began shooting pickups & recording ADR for the feature film "A Winter Tale". These events brought my friend Peter Williams from Vancouver - he plays the lead.

To all the cast who participated this week: Peter Bailey, Nicole Stamp, Ryan Ishmael, p! Barrington (so sorry for "abandoning" you in Parkdale bro), and Valerie Buhagiar, as well as our tiny crew: Thank you for coming out.

For one day (Tuesday) there was snow, but it melted before we had a chance to point a camera at it. For those not in the know, our film needs SNOW to justify the title and complete a central conceit of the film, which is about a group of characters under seige in the cold (a metaphor many immigrants to Canada can identify with strongly). Thanks to Global Warming, 2006 broke all records, and there was no snow during principal photography.

But snow is promised in the coming weeks ...

In other newz: Warm thanks to all who have emailed or called in kind compliments about our series Literature Alive. They are much appreciated.

Here's one from writer Rachel Manley:

Dear Frances,
I have long thought your enterprise a most worthwhile and essential one, not just for the Caribbean in diaspora, but for the Caribbean at home...We are, after all, one. And what strengthens us anywhere strengthens us everywhere. It also strengthens Canada as you deftly collect what Martin Carter calls "our scattered skeleton" and fold us into this country's unique mix - their "mosaic."

If you missed the premiere of Rachel's film on Bravo! two weeks ago, here is a clip from it:



In The Shadow of My Fathers: Rachel Manley, was directed by Lana Lovell.

You can buy copies of all our shows from our estore

Our new Blog, and other updates.

Tired of waiting for an invitation to upgrade our account, we have migrated to this new blog. Please update your links: the address is ledaserenesnewz1.blogspot.com.

I also want to remind you that all of our official websites are now .ca (instead of .com and .org) Thus:

ledaserene.ca
caribbeantales.ca
literaturealiveonline.ca
lordhavemercy.ca

This is because a malicious vandal stole our domain names back in June, and so we had to register new ones.

To celebrate our new blog and other winter cheer, here's a clip from "Memory Places", our LiteratureAlive Documentary on author Andre Alexis. This film won a Special Acknoledgement Award at the Festival of Black International Cinema 2006 in Berlin, Paris, and St Louis. The interviewer and co-director is Eugene Paramoer. The cinematographer was Natalie Haarhof (additional photography Kiarash Sadigh). The music is by Mauri Hall.

Here Andre talks about living in the Toronto neighbourhood of Parkdale, and how and why that influences his writing.



Parkdale is also the location of our feature film "A Winter Tale".

Some of you may remember the day when the CSC (Canadian Society of Cinematographers) came on set to interview DP Kim Derko.

Here's the article they published.

Kim is one of only 5 women cinematogaphers in the CSC, she's a wonderful visual artist and the film is looking great!

"A Winter Tale" will be released in 2007.

Dwayne Morgan On LiteratureAlive

Alongside the World Premiere launch of LiteratureAlive Season 2, Bravo is repeating Season 1 of the series. For the full schedule for all the shows, go to Bravo's website.

To whet your appetite here's a clip from The Man Behind The Mic, a profile of spoken word artist and entrepreneur Dwayne Morgan. In it he discusses his art, and the reasons why he takes time to promote Canadian-Caribbean events like "When Sisters Speak."

For more about Dwayne, check him out at myspace.com/dwaynemorgan
or at Up From The Roots.
To buy a copy of this show, or the whole series, go to our estore

To purchase your personal copies of these products please visit out E-store

If you would like to buy a copy that includes public performance rights, for use in your school, library, university or other institution, download our Educational Catalogue here.

The Literature Alive documentary series profiles Caribbean-Canadian authors and follows the evolution of Caribbean-heritage fiction from the 1960s through to the hip-hop generation.

These revealing and provocative documentaries explore the lives and creative processes of these modern Caribbean artists. In doing so, we discover the links between personal experience, ancestry, and migration; between Canada and the Caribbean; between an artist and their art.

The series was produced in association with Bravo! Canadian Learning Television, Book Television, OMNI, and Gayelle TV (Trinidad).

Download Press Kits for the series here.

Season 1:
Andre Alexis: Memory Places
Shani Mootoo: My Dinner With Shani
Tessa McWatt: Home
Dwayne Morgan: The Man Behind The Mic
Dany Laferriere: Un Homme Dans Sa Ville
Richardo Keens-Douglas: Believe
d'bi young: Blood, Dub and The Matriarch
Nalo Hopkinson: Fabulous Spaces
Jemeni (Joanne Gairy): Jemeni in the City
M NourBese Philip: Word Hammers
Olive Senior: Gardening with Olive
Pam Mordecai: Her True True Name
Louise Bennett:Miss Lou Then and Now

Special Hour-long Episode broadcast on OMNI Television:
Ramabai Espinet: Coming Home

Season 2:
Creation Fire 1&2: The Calabash Festival
The Gimistory Festival Parts 1&2
In The Shadow Of My Fathers: Rachel Manley
Honor-Bound: Honor Ford-Smith.

Thanks For Coming!

(Photo: Jamaican author Rachel Manley surrounded by her fans at the Launch of Literature Alive 2 .)

Many thanks to all you who braved the rain and came out to the Season 2 Launch of Literature Alive at Camera on October 27th and 28th: it was a blast!

Friday night was a delirious affair for me. It was wonderful to recognize that we have completed not one, but two seasons of this miraculous series of documentaries on Caribbean writers.

It's gratifying to know that the shows will continue to be sold into schools, libraries and universities here in Canada, so that young people can take in images and the voices of Olive Senior, Pam Mordecai, dbi.young, Dwayne Morgan, Lynton Kwesi Johnson, Miss Lou, (and on...) along with their Shakespeare and Austen.

Right there is proof of progress, because I never had that as a child...

Saturday was special because several of the writers came by and participated in an informal discussion with the audience, while watching the films. What emerged was each writers' story of "the making of" their own documentary: how each experienced being the subject of our efforts to capture their vision and voice on film. For me it was an interesting, necessary and rare opportunity to complete a process, reflect on the journey, and get feedback from the individuals who I sought most to represent.

Thank you Shani, Nalo, Ramabai and Jemeni for participating in that afternoon with me.

Oh, and don't forget to stay tuned on Thursday, 8pm on Bravo for Literature Alive!

Join Us Tonight On Bravo!

Come & Celebrate With Us!

TODAY, Saturday 28th Ocotber:

Come join us at the Camera Bar, 1028 Queen Street Toronto, from 1-7pm, to celebrate the Second Season of Literature Alive, with A DAY OF SCREENINGS AND DISCUSSION, featuring "The Best Of Literature Alive Season 1".

The programme:

1:00 p.m. Memory Places
Haitian-Canadian Dany Laferriere, Indo-Trinidadian Ramabai Espinet, Toronto's Flow 93.5 DJ and poet Jemeni and Trinidad born-Ottawa raised Andre Alexis: Four contemporary Caribbean writers who in their writing draw on childhood memories to create imaginative modern reflections on Canada today.

3:00 p.m. Fantastic Spaces
Many writers navigating the spaces between the Caribbean and Canada create startling imaginary landscapes that meld the two. This series of docs explores the fabulous worlds of science fiction writer Nalo Hopkinson, magic realist writer Shani Mootoo, and vibrant spoken word artist d'bi Young.

5:00 p.m. In Celebration of Miss Lou
Three half-hour films exploring the power, range and influence of Jamaican poet, writer, broadcaster and comedienne Louise Bennet Coverley, on modern Caribbean Culture from the 40s to the birth of Reggae and through to the spokenword hip-hop generation. Featuring poet publisher and teacher Pam Mordecai (in conversation with her friend the writer Velma Pollard), and spoken-word artist & entrepreneur Dwayne Morgan.
Literature Alive documentaries have been screened internationally including at Fipa 2006 in Paris; Reel Sisters 2006, in NY; The 2006 Festival of Black International Cinema, in St Louis, Berlin, and Paris, and at Carifesta 9, in Trinidad. Memory Places, featuring author Andre Alexis, won Special Acknowledgement in the Best Documentary category at the recent Festival of Black International Cinema.

We Are Celebrating The Launch of LiteratureAlive Season 2

CaribbeanTales is celebrating the launch of Literature Alive Season 2 on October 27, 2006 at the Camera Bar, 1028 Queen Street West at 7pm PM.

We are so very proud of the documentaries that we produced this year! They will begin broadcasting on Bravo! on Thursday November 2nd at 8pm.

The Launch event will feature a sneak preview of some of this year's most exciting documentaries.

HONOR BOUND - a half-hour snapshot of the endlessly surprising creative talents of Honor Ford Smith; as well as IN THE SHADOW OF MY FATHERS, profiling the important work of poet, novelist and biographer Rachel Manley. And CREATION FIRE, an extraordinary profile of Calabash, the dynamic Literary Festival that takes place in Jamaica every year.

On Saturday October 28, we will have A DAY OF SCREENINGS AND DISCUSSIONS featuring "The Best of Literature Alive Season 1". Since this series first aired on BRAVO! last October, several of our documentaries have won awards and been screened at Festivals internationally. We are delighted to bring to the big screen, our award-winning documentaries on the Hon. Louise Bennet-Coverley, Ramabai Espinet, Shani Mootoo, Nalo Hopkinson, and Jemini, among others.

The full program for the event is below.

Many of the writers will be joining us to introduce the documentaries and discuss their work, including Rachel Manley, Honor Ford Smith, Jemini, Shani Mootoo, Nalo Hopkinson, and Ramabai Espinet.

Literature Alive Season 2 Launch - FULL PROGRAM

Friday October 27
7:00 p.m. LITERATURE ALIVE SEASON 2 Sneak Preview
Rachel Manley - My Father's Shadow
Colin Channer - Creation Fire
Honor Ford Smith - Honor-Bound

Drinks and festivities!

Saturday October 28 - A Day of Screenings and Discussion - The best of Literature Alive Season 1
1:00 p.m. Memory Places
Haitian-Canadian Dany Laferriere, Indo-Trinidadian Ramabai Espinet, Toronto's Flow 93.5 DJ and poet Jemeni and Trinidad born-Ottawa raised Andre Alexis: Four contemporary Caribbean writers who in their writing draw on childhood memories to create imaginative modern reflections on Canada today.

3:00 p.m. Fantastic Spaces
Many writers navigating the spaces between the Caribbean and Canada create startling imaginary landscapes that meld the two. This series of docs explores the fabulous worlds of science fiction writer Nalo Hopkinson, magic realist writer Shani Mootoo, and vibrant spoken word artist d'bi Young.

5:00 p.m. In Celebration of Miss Lou
Three half-hour films exploring the power, range and influence of Jamaican poet, writer, broadcaster and comedienne Louise Bennet Coverley, on modern Caribbean Culture from the 40s to the birth of Reggae and through to the spokenword hip-hop generation. Featuring poet publisher and teacher Pam Mordecai (in conversation with her friend the writer Velma Pollard), and spoken-word artist & entrepreneur Dwayne Morgan.

Literature Alive documentaries have been screened internationally including at Fipa 2006 in Paris; Reel Sisters 2006, in NY; The 2006 Festival of Black International Cinema, in St Louis, Berlin, and Paris, and at Carifesta 9, in Trinidad. Memory Places, featuring author Andre Alexis, won Special Acknowledgement in the Best Documentary category at the recent Festival of Black International Cinema.