By Rohan Goswami
Imagine that you lived in a perfect world: What would that be like? What would be the rules? Who would be the people? What would be present in a world that was perfect for you and you only? Well, the definitions for the term “perfect” are highly subjective and really depend on what everyone’s idea of utopia is.
This idea of a perfect world was what gave local artist and teacher, Jonathan van Arneman, the inspiration to put his blood, sweat, and tears in what can be known as the best, 100 percent locally produced film by far. Recently in collaboration with the National Institute of Arts (NIA) and other sponsors, local artist Jonathan van Arneman launched the film “Atlantis: The Rebirth”, which made its debut the weekend of June 18-19, at 8:00 PM at NIA, in the John Larmonie Center on Pondfill.
The film comprises multiple scenes that are each a representation of a different struggle of the various members of the diaspora, with scenes that include those of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), the history of the Garifuna people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Curaçaolenean revolution under Tula, the Marigot massacre of 1830, among others. The show lasted for about one hour, after which the crowd was introduced to the cast and allowed to ask any questions that they had and share any feedback and comments. Later on, Mr. Jonathan announced that orders could be placed for “Atlantis” T-shirts with art on them, which was also done completely locally.
In order for me to write this article, it was necessary for me to go and watch the show first-hand. As I give my review and thoughts on the show, it is not even necessary that I say, that putting up one hour of content is no easy task, especially in a time like this where the world is going through so much, making limitations and setbacks endless. I would like to commend the creator, Mr. Jonathan, and the entire cast for putting in such a great effort to bring about such a beautiful show.
In the beginning, the film introduced a concept called “the door or no return”, which captured the last point of land before you were to leave the continent, and as an enslaved individual, you would never see your homeland again. This concept was one of my personal favourites out of the show. The great use of props, backgrounds, outfits and musical diversity really added to the impact that the show intended to make.
I also think it is necessary to address the difficulty of using the struggles, agony, and pain of our past ancestors and display it in such a positive manner. Oftentimes when concepts such as slavery are discussed, people tend to blame the colonizers, and the focus remains on the rules rather than the enslaved. In reality, the ingenuity of the enslaved people is the very reason that they are free today and that, in my opinion, is a significantly greater feat and hence should be given much more attention – and the show did exactly that.
Some other parts necessary to mention are the back story behind the creation of such a work of art, and the process behind it. When Mr. Jonathan van Arneman lived abroad, he made another production, which can be thought of as the mother production of “Atlantis Rebirth”. That first production, named “Atlantis13”, was the definition of utopia. Originally, Mr. Jonathan’s plan was to come down to St. Maarten and essentially just bring the same show here, but then he realized that everyone’s definition of utopia is significantly different. In order to make this show interesting, he decided to use stories from the diaspora that are not taught about in schools or really discussed at all.
The preparation began early before the pandemic, but unfortunately, two weeks prior to the first show, which was supposed to be performed live, the pandemic hit and the project that was supposed to be for six months, extended into two years. After a lot of trial and error and just “going with the flow”, Mr. Jonathan decided that it would be better for the show to be a film. Therefore, after a long while of scouting locations, outfits, music, etc., the rigorous shooting process began. In the end, the show was a huge success and was sold out for the nights that it played. This film is intended to be broadcasted internationally to teach the history of the Caribbean diaspora.
I am so glad that I had the absolute privilege to witness Atlantis rebirth. From the stories, to the amazing choreography, to the costumes, music and cinematography, everything was just perfect. And the great news is that if you missed the film premiere – or even if you saw it but want to see it again – you will have an opportunity to see it on Emancipation Day and the days following, at Caribbean Cinemas Megaplex 7 in Cole Bay.
So mark your calendars and don’t miss out on this awesome experience! Showtime is as follows:
* Thursday, July 1, at 4:00 PM
* Friday, July 2, at 4:00 PM
* Saturday, July 3, at 1:00 PM
* Sunday, July 4, at 1:00 PM
Once again, huge congratulations to the entire cast, the sponsors, and most importantly, the great mind behind it all – Mr. Jonathan van Arneman. I would like to end with a simple statement and a question: This was our Atlantis. What’s yours?
