‘Cuffy: Face Of A Rebellion’ celebrates a revolutionary legacy

Overseas-based Guyanese documentary director and producer Amanda Wilson announced her latest project, “Cuffy: Face of a Rebellion”, to be filmed in Berbice, to celebrate the legacy of the slave rebellion led by national hero, Cuffy.
Through her artistic eye for making documentaries, the 60-minute film celebrates the life and mission of a Guyanese hero and the 250th anniversary of his 1763 Berbice Revolt. The idea of a documentary celebrating Cuffy’s life, said Wilson, has already won broad support in Guyana.
In a recent press release, Wilson said that the documentary, currently in production here for release in February 2013, draws on months of painstaking research on slavery in archives in Guyana, Ghana, the Netherlands, the United States and Britain, and extensive interviews with leading academics, historians, politicians and journalists.
Wilson added that among the multitude of inspiring legends of slave rebellion in the Caribbean, Cuffy’s story towers above them all – a tale of daring, vision, inspiration and unrivalled tragedy.
Wilson’s innovative media company, Green Mango Media, will share this extraordinary history with audiences across the Caribbean, Europe and North America. The documentary producer is also a widely-respected international journalist, whose work has taken her across the globe, including stints in Guyana at the Guyana Chronicle newspaper, Britain’s vibrant television industry and across the Caribbean, Southern Asia and Africa.
“At Green Mango Media, we believe it is time the Caribbean told her own stories. We must preserve our history in our own words for future generations, and proudly share the achievements of our revolutionary icons with the rest of the world. Cuffy’s story is one of freedom and the fight for human dignity. He lost his independence as a slave but died a revolutionary; the hardship and humiliation of slavery did not break his spirit. We must remember him and learn from his incredible legacy,” urged the director and producer in the press release.
Wilson revealed that the film explores Cuffy’s life: captured in West Africa, transported across the Atlantic, sold into slavery and later rebelling against the colonial system to become a hero in his new home.
His story, she continued, is one of determination for the advancement of liberty, equality and dignity that shares a common thread with the birth of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana: both fought for independence from colonial masters.
The film will highlight Cuffy’s visionary leadership and how, two and a half centuries later, his sacrifice continues to inspire a nation.
“I want his documentary to be a welcome addition to the telling of our history. It saddens me that the younger generation knows so much about Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King –which is great – but they are unaware of the impact of the 1763 revolt. This is a man who inspired other rebellions, including the Haitian revolution led by Toussaint L’Ouverture,” Wilson noted.
The official trailer, shot by CineGuyana’s Phillip Williams on location in Berbice, and starring Delroy Webster as Cuffy; Terrence Giddings and veteran actor Errol Chan, is scheduled to be released early November.
“We shot the trailer on location in Canje to be true to the story and for the audience to have a feel of what’s to come. Canje is beautiful, and looks incredible on camera. I have to thank Errol Chan, who is also my casting agent, for finding the young actor Delroy Webster from Berbice, who plays Cuffy beautifully. The youth will be part of this project at every stage because I believe it is important that they understand Guyana’s history and celebrate the achievements of our heroes,” Wilson said.
The re-enactments for the documentary, featuring more than thirty local actors, would be filmed in November on Plantation Magdalenenberg on the Canje River. The film would have six major re-enactments, including disagreements in the rebel camp between Cuffy and his lieutenant Akara, and Cuffy’s eventual suicide.
Wilson pointed out that her company is committed to the promotion of the Caribbean’s political, economic and cultural achievements.
With a versatile, gifted team of journalists, producers, cameramen, editors, graphic designers and public relations experts, Wilson bring together decades of experience in the fields of global politics, economics and business, tourism, development and leisure.
In 2010, in a joint venture with the private sector and the government of the British Virgin Islands, the Green Mango Media team produced and launched the critically acclaimed documentary “Noel Lloyd: A Patriotic Man” , the inspirational story of the life of a peaceful political activist.
For more information on this documentary and its producer, email at amanda.wilson@greenmangomedia.com