Excitement is sweeping across Hanover as residents prepare to roll out the red carpet for UNICEF Jamaica and the Jamaica Film and Television Association (JAFTA), whose groundbreaking documentary initiative, “Behind Her Lens: Women and Children in the Wake of Hurricane Melissa,” will make its national debut in Lucea on Saturday.
Residents have expressed pride as Lucea, the parish capital, prepares to become the first community in Jamaica to host the powerful documentary film initiative, which shines a spotlight on the voices, resilience and experiences of women and children whose lives were upended by Hurricane Melissa.
The free community screening will take place on Saturday, June 13, at 2 p.m. at the Hanover Parish Church Hall (Walter Hall) at Watson Taylor Drive in Lucea. The Hanover staging will mark the debut of the screening series before it travels to Westmoreland and culminates with a national showing in Kingston.
According to Novia Condell, Health Specialist at UNICEF Jamaica and the initiative’s focal point, Hanover was intentionally selected because of its significance within western Jamaica and because many of the stories featured in the films reflect the experiences of communities directly affected by Hurricane Melissa. She said the decision reflects UNICEF Jamaica’s commitment to inclusive engagement by prioritising communities outside of Kingston and recognising the importance of creating spaces where local voices can be heard and validated.
“Beginning the screenings in Hanover ensures that the initiative brings the films directly to communities that were directly affected by Hurricane Melissa and whose experiences are reflected in the stories,” Condell told Negril Times.
The programme will feature three short documentaries — Sisters and the Storm by Ina Sotirova, The Forgotten Daughters by Gabrielle Blackwood, and After Melissa: The Women and Girls of Petersfield by Kaneal Gayle. Inspired by the disproportionate impact Hurricane Melissa had on women, adolescent girls and children, the “Behind Her Lens” initiative seeks to amplify voices that are often overlooked in disaster recovery narratives.
Among the Hanoverians applauding the initiative is Senior Emergency Medical Technician and Firefighter Sergeant Olivia Sewell of the Hanover Fire Department, also welcomed the decision to launch the film initiative in the parish, describing it as long overdue recognition for a parish that is too often overlooked, and which remains, not only among Jamaica’s poorest parishes, but also one of those hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa.
“The fact that they are debuting the films in Hanover is a good thing, because most of the time Hanover is on the back burner when it comes to development. Hanover is like the forgotten parish at times. A lot of people need help towards rebuilding and other things. It is good to highlight the plight of the people on an international scale and hopefully bring more support for the people of the parish,” Sewell said.
Sewell himself experienced firsthand the dangers posed by the hurricane. During the storm, he led a three-member ambulance team to Haughton Court in Lucea to transport a woman to hospital after she went into labour. With heavy rain and strong winds battering the parish and roads rendered hazardous, Sewell and his colleagues were repeatedly reminded that rescuers must avoid becoming victims themselves. Nevertheless, they decided to undertake the mission.
“It was a pregnant woman, so it was two lives. Even though there were three of us on the ambulance, we decided to chance it,” Sewell recalled.
He said he intends to attend Saturday’s screening, within the exigencies of his duties, and urged Hanoverians to turn out in their numbers.
Educator and businesswoman Angela Haye, principal and founder of the Hanover Educational Institute (HEI) who disclosed that she had already marked the date on her calendar and plans to attend.
“This is a very important initiative here in western Hanover. It is on my agenda and I will be there, and I’m looking forward to it,” she declared.
Haye also told Negril Times that many women and young girls in Hanover continue to struggle in the aftermath of the hurricane and often lack adequate support structures. She also pointed out that initiatives of this nature are rarely brought to western Hanover and urged residents, especially women and girls, to attend.
“I am elated with UNICEF choosing Hanover to showcase these films on the devastation of Melissa in western Jamaica and its impact on women and girls. I know firsthand that a lot of our young girls and women are marginalized. They don’t have the support structure in place. So for UNICEF to be focusing on this particular area in western Jamaica, I am very, very impressed,” Haye told Negril Times.
“We do not see initiatives like these readily in this space here in western Hanover. It is important for our women and girls to come out and be a part of what is happening, come and get additional information, knowledge and empowerment,” she added.
Having partnered with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) earlier this year to host three safe-space sessions for women and girls through the Hanover Educational Institute, Haye praised the UN’s work in the parish.
“We had women experiencing gender-based violence, women having issues at home, and young girls who were depressed and did not know how to handle those issues. We were happy to host those forums as our tool to help our young girls and young women,” she said.
Meanwhile, wellness practitioner Sharon Chambers, who participated in relief efforts following the hurricane, also encouraged residents to support the event. Chambers recalled witnessing mothers with babies in their arms waiting on roadsides for assistance and families living in tents or homes without privacy after fleeing flood-ravaged communities.
“There was great lack and there was great need,” Chambers said, adding that the loss of homes and livelihoods left many women in particularly vulnerable circumstances.
“Women were put in a worse situation than ever because of lack of privacy and not having what they were used to having — a home with food and their livelihood. These are basic necessities that were robbed from a large population of Jamaican women,” she explained.
Encouraging residents to attend the screening, Chambers said: “Go out in your numbers and be counted. The only way we’re going to be counted is if our voices are heard. Otherwise, we’d be excluded and just become a statistic.”
Admission is free and refreshments will be provided. UNICEF Jamaica is encouraging residents, schools, community groups and families to take part in what promises to be not only a moving cinematic experience but also an important community conversation about resilience, recovery and ensuring that the voices of women and children help shape Jamaica’s future.
Following the screenings on Saturday, audience members will have an opportunity to engage in a panel discussion and question-and-answer session with filmmakers and community leaders. The discussions will be moderated by renowned broadcaster Simone Clarke-Cooper.
