Black Harvest Film Festival - The Incursion
Socially marginalized and ostracized, a group of residents from the political garrison of Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston, Jamaica seeks recognition for the injustice they endured during the 2010 joint military/police operation which left over 150 people dead.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Sasha-Gay Lewis
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you. I made this film because I wanted to show the lasting effects of the incursion on the people that it affected the most. I wanted to show how the Jamaican government entered a community with people that were largely unarmed seeking to arrest one man and turned that community inside out killing many innocent civilians.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film because it shows what happens when power goes unchecked against a group of people that can’t fight for themselves. It shows how people can be resilient and strong when forces beyond their control wishes to punish them for being poor and underrepresented.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The Incursion addresses many personal and universal themes. On a personal level it is about loss - loss of family, loss of your home, loss of your sense of safety and the fear that that loss creates. It also talks about survivor’s remorse, something that the main character Annette struggles with to this day. On an universal level it addresses abuse of power and displacement as a result of conflict. Most importantly it highlights resilience and love.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script went through many changes. The script started as a feature, however, given budget challenges, among other things, it became a short. It is such a layered story and so the challenge was how do I tell a strong story, providing all the necessary facts without losing the heart and emotions of the story in such a short time? It was a torturous killing of the babies and lots of sleepless nights to arrive at well structured yet compact and compelling story. I grew as a filmmaker and editor because of this project.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I have received wonderful feedback from citizens from both Jamaica and the United States. Resident of Jamaica, specifically Tivoli gardens, are happy that their stories are finally be told accurately and humanistically.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has been more of a confirmation. As filmmakers I believe that you know when you have a strong story and a great film. You know when you have done good with your skill, and when your audience express the same emotions you have carried for the project, it's a sweet alignment.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I am hoping to bring awareness to what happened to the residents of Tivoli in 2010. May 24 this year will be eight years since the incident took place and still years no-one has been held accountable and no measures have been installed to assist the residents in getting their life back on track.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would like to partner with distributors, sales agents, journalists,and buyers to have the film reach a wider audience.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
The greatest impact I would love the film to have is to get the government of Jamaica to apologize to the residents of Tivoli, provide long term and sustained counseling and compensate the victims whose houses were severely damaged during the raid.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What are the appropriate measures that a government must take to ensure the safety of a community and should the government be made responsible when those plans go awry and innocent lives are in jeopardy?
Would you like to add anything else?
Showcasing Jamaica fully with all its complexities has been a joy and I hope to continue to do so.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
It is our hope to produce a feature length film that showcases both the government’s perspective of the Incursion and the man who the Incursion was set in motion to capture. I am also working on a documentary series that profile the inspiring story of suicide survivors. We also have a few projects in development, details of which cannot be disclosed of at this point.
Interview: April 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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The Incursion
Socially marginalized and ostracized, a group of residents from the political garrison of Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston, Jamaica seeks recognition for the injustice they endured during the 2010 joint military/police operation which left over 150 people dead.
Length: 26 minutes
Director: Sasha-Gay Lewis
Producer: Sasha-Gay Lewis
Writer: Sasha-Gay Lewis
About the writer, director and producer:
Sasha is a Jamaican documentary filmmaker, producer, editor and writer.
Her career in production started as a writer/producer/presenter for television where she produced content for Jamaicans at home and overseas.
As a filmmaker, she has written, produced and directed a number of short films and documentaries in Jamaica, Belize, and California. Her short documentary ‘The Incursion’ has won numerous festival awards including Best Documentary Short at the LA Script & Film Festival 2017, Honourable Mention at DOC LA, Award of Recognition at Impact Docs 2017, among others.
The Incursion is an emotional, character-driven film that highlights the 2010 government raid on the inner-city community of Tivoli Gardens in Jamaica that left over 150 people dead.
Sasha has also written, directed and edited the films: Surviving Suicide - the inspiring story of three-time attempt survivor Anthony Rodriquez; The People’s Vision, an architectural short that explores how architectural structures often become the only expressions of identity within African –American communities. She was also a producer on the KCET distributed film Where Cultures Collide.
Sasha is also an award winning radio producer/writer and a trained journalist. She has a passion for human psychology, cultures, arts and history. Through her work she seeks to facilitate communication, connection and change.
Sasha holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Media and Communications from the University of the West Indies, and a Masters of Fine Arts in Documentary Filmmaking from the New York Film Academy.
Key cast: Annette Irving, Joan McCarthy and Chris Cunningham
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Distributors, sales agents, journalists, film festival directors and buyers.
Social media handles:
Facebook: TheIncursionJA
Made in association with:
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Black Harvest Film Festival