Film & Panel Discussion
Film Screening
TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE FILM & TALK - A BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPECIAL EVENT 2023
Award-winning filmmaker Shelley Jarrett’s new documentary, What We Deserve – Restorative Justice and Reparation, examines over 400 years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the major roles played by European powers, including the British, Portuguese, French, and Dutch. The trade of chained bodies was a highly successful commercial business for the nations of Europe—destroying the lives of millions of men, women and children in search of profit.
Filled with potent reflections and insightful commentary, this film presents the centuries of unaddressed harm faced by the victims of the slave trade and their descendants and champions their calls for restorative justice and reparations.
This event marks the premiere and first public screening of What We Deserve – Restorative Justice and Reparation. Following the 45-minute film, award-winning screenwriter Andrew Terry Pasieka moderates a panel discussion with filmmaker Shelley Jarrett, Colin Jobe, and Samantha Singleton.
Burlington Public Library proudly presents this special event in partnership with Shelland House of Film.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Shelley Jarrett has merged her passions for community development and creative arts through filmmaking and podcasting. She was named one of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women 2022. She sits on the Board of the Art Gallery of Mississauga and is a board advisor to the Canadian Centre for Women Empowerment in Ottawa.
Shelley Jarrett’s debut documentary W’AT ABOWT US has won numerous awards since its premiere in Toronto in 2019. The film documents the lives of eight courageous women from five major cultural backgrounds telling their stories of truth and experience of domestic violence and assault.
Shelland House of Films website
Celebrating Black History Month at BPL
AGE GROUP: | Adult |
EVENT TYPE: | Culture, Heritage, Newcomers |
TAGS: | M25 |
Central
Synopsis
What We Deserve
The film looks at over 400 troubled years of the British monarchy as it relates to colonialism and the slave trade, with calls today for restorative justice and reparation.
July 1, 2023, will be a slavery memorial year in which the country “will pause to reflect on this painful history.
This year will be the anniversary of the abolition of slavery 160 years ago. Activists consider next year the 150th anniversary, because many enslaved people were forced to continue working in plantations for a decade after abolition. History still plays a negative role in the lives of many today.”
The major player in the whole activity was Great Britain with both the British government and the monarchy; i.e., the Royal Family, equally implicated. The result is the ongoing five century tragedy of forced immigration from the colonies in Africa and resultant slavery in the colonies of the Caribbean.
It began with Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603). Although slavery was not legally sanctioned, it did not prevent the first known slavers, William Towerson and John Hawkins, from operating during her reign. The royal family began to officially support the slave trade with her successor to the throne, James I. The Royal African Company was officially established in 1672 under King Charles II, achieving a peak 74% share of the market. All told, Britain transported around 3.1 million enslaved Africans to the Caribbean until slavery was abolished in 1807.
The cries for the government and the monarchy to account for its past sins over five consecutive centuries have been growing louder in recent years and have reached a crescendo with the Queen’s death. Strong united voices are speaking out in the Caribbean, and have created a ten-point action plan. Demands for a response are now being reported by mainstream media, with the likelihood of an international legal reckoning if the response is not to the satisfaction of all.
Cast: Featuring
Dorbrene O'Marde
Kareem Gordon
Andrew Terry Pasieka
Shelley Jarrett
Crew
Ryan Singh Production
Hamafilms Antigua
George Hayward
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award-winning documentary
