For our new exhibition Legacies: London Transport’s Caribbean Workforce, the Museum commissioned two short films to be produced. One of these films is a contemporary look at Black British culture from a personal perspective exploring the theme, What does London Caribbean culture mean to me?
Sunday’s best by Siane Dena Faye and Loriamah Skerrit follows a young couple as they sneak away from church to experience the fun of Notting Hill Carnival. On their journey, they take in the sights, sounds and history of Caribbean culture in London.
Here the cast and crew of the film reflect on the experience of making it.
Siane Dena Faye, Writer, Director & Producer, said:
I wanted to honour that sweet, sincere innocence of youth of our culture, and what better lens than puppy love. I highlighted church because I doubt that there’s anything that connects us more than begrudgingly going to church with our doting Grandmothers, in uncomfortable church clothes and falling asleep during service. It’s a connected memory and I thought a little nostalgia would tie all of the emotion together.
My favourite part of the story is the ending, where the connection between the two characters is palpable through their heightened intimacy after a shared experience. My favourite part of the shoot was the cohesiveness of the team and how understanding the public were of our brief interruptions.
My connection to the culture is through my family, many of my relatives emigrated from Jamaica, I also briefly lived there as a little girl and the older I become the more I appreciate playing Beres Hammond as I clean, cooking traditional dishes and hearing stories about life in the rural areas or the “Bush” as we call it.
Leah Patten, one of the lead actors added:
My favourite part of the whole experience was the bus scene, going through London together and seeing all the sites, feeling that bond between the two characters in a deeper way. For the poem, my favourite part was when we went into talking about the food together and the patois came out, it was almost like there was banter between the two characters, the relationship stood out and it flowed.
Naomi Knox, Poet, said her favourite part of the poem recited by the young characters in the film was the ending, specifically the lines:
Strip new selves to put on hold
Even the old feels new now.
This line encapsulates the pressure that comes with existing in a world where you often feel like you have to adapt. You find yourself, and then in another situation, feel lost. You can get used to something and before you know it, it or your connection towards it, has changed. As the world is, we are too in flux.
Thomas Bickley, Script supervisor shared that:
I don’t have a specific connection to Caribbean culture outside of an enjoyment of Reggae and Ska music and an interest in the history of the Caribbean islands. I do however find the culture quite fascinating, there’s a lot of vibrancy and passion to it. It’s a culture that feels very alive and I find it takes pleasure in the simple things which is something I can connect to. Also being a Catholic I could draw parallels to the Christian themes explored through the film within the Caribbean culture and relate it to my own background and experiences with religion.
Watch the film on display in our exhibition, Legacies: London Transport’s Caribbean Workforce, celebrating the contribution of first, second and third generation Caribbean transport workers to London’s transport history, culture and society.