Jamaica Arise: The 75 Year History of the PNP (1938-2013)

1. What was the role that the People's National Party (PNP) played in the anti-colonial struggle?



The People's National Party (PNP) has many roles in the anti-colonial struggle, this movement converted in a way to equality, equality for the poor people, for the workers, for the many families in the country, even the women.



This party provived education, homes, and oportunities for the jamaicans, because created political steps realtionate with salaries, childrens, the health system and economical situtation of the nation.



2. What was/is the role of women throughout the 75 years of the PNP? (Give at least 3 examples)





I think the role of the women in this context was really important, because they could made a precedent for the other movements who fight for the women and their rights. This party of the women fought for equal salaries, visibilization of the women in politics, and the necessity to converted her in a potent figure in the society.



They wanted to form part of that movement, and say prouds "I'm a jamaican woman". And for that, obviously, they needed education, jobs and the same oportunities of the mens, specially the white men.





3. How did the implementation of democratic socialism affect the Jamaican people?





The implementation of the democratic socialism had serious consecuences for the Jamaican people, principally in the economic area, where sadly they was really weak, so the economical system down, and the social class suffer the impact of this new government.



This was a country who nobody wanted to help, except for Cuba, and the new allieds of Jamaica, the socialism world was opened for the jamaican people, and the same time, USA and the ther nations against to this politics they turned back.



4. How does the PNP justify privatization and its role in creating a path of neoliberal reforms in Jamaica?



They justify those actions based in the desestabilization of the society, and they said the privatization was the way for go out of the crisis, and also was an oportunity to impulse the differents sectors of Jamaica.



For example, the sugar industry, the sindicates, the schools, and all the enterprises who funcionate with natural resources or raw materials.

5. How do you compare the role of PNP in the film, Ghett'a Life (Lenny Thompson, Derrick's Father) versus the documentary?



I think the role of the PNP in both movies was interesting, in the case of the documentary is obviously the intention of the director is shows the glory of this party, in how they helped the people,  and in how they made a change. But in the other hand, with Ghett'a Life, the party is like a obstacle to be happy, because all the people was polarize in two sides, in two parties, in two ways to see the reality. I don't know what to say after to saw those films, the only thing I know is that the politics influence the people, the society, the economics and the relations with other countries, specially with the neighbords.

Ghett´a Life by Chris Browne

1. Who was your favorite character (s) from the film? Why?


I think my favorite character from the film was the mother of the protagonist, she wanted to support and help her son, and also she fought against the gangs that wanted to kill Derrick. Dawn Thompson it was amazing for me, because she tried to be a good mother, maybe because she lost their other son, and tried to don't do the same mistakes with Derrick or maybe she was a real good mother, independet of the situation. For Dawn the politics was a stupid thing, and when she saw that Derrick start to understand that the society can’t be work with murders, the intimidation and the constant flow of  blood, I think she felt good, like if in that moment his son opened their eyes for the first time.

And also I like the old enemy of Derrick called Gully rat, because he changed her vision of the reality, they converted in friends after to fight in the boxing gym. I suffered when Gully dies, because he salve Derrick and his family, when in the past he always said thathe hate the band who represented Derrick and his father. 

2. How does the film compare to the other Jamaican films from the 70s? (Besides visual effects, think about the plot and character development).

I think in all the movies that we saw in the course represented the poverty, very similar to the “Favelas” in Brazil or the “Poblaciones Callampa” in Chile, because the cities appeared to made of garbage, and the constant presence of the parties or the gangs showed us a cruel reality, all the people live with fear and submission. Again all the population that we could saw in the film are very skinny, this a clear example to the shortage of the food, the police can’t control the gangs and murders, the robbs can change easily in  a fight. So, I think all the representations that we could saw in the three movies of the course means that the drugs, the music, the politics, and basically the money moves the people, and control them.


3. How are women portrayed in this film? Is it a little or big advancement compared to the films from the 1970's?

I wishing to say that is a big advancement, because Dawn brokes the story and converts in a important character, but in entire movie the women is showed exactly like in the other films, for example, the daughter of the coach didn’t speak much, and the romance that she had with Derrick is very forced.  Besides all the women associated with boxing are stereotypes, the society and the director sexualize them, and showed with little clothes, and obviously they don’t speak, they only walk and display their bodies. I really hate this, because it's not real.

The Pain Tree Short Story Review

1. Who is your favorite character from the story and what kind of background do they come from? Why? (Use examples from Michelle Cliff's essay, If I Could Write This in Fire, I Would Write This in Fire)

I think my favorite character could be Larissa, because the protagonist said good things about her, for example for her she was like her mother. But also Larrisa surprised me. I almost cried when she talked about the death of Larissa’s sons, this memory showed us a strong woman, but also a woman how really suffer, and the only option she had to leave the pain away was the Pain tree. I think is really important this woman. In first place, because she can personifies the social workers of that time, and in second place, because she represented a culture, for example:  “Eh, where you come from, girl?”, this sentence is relationate with the context of th story, with the traditions, the legends, and the unequal society.

In the same line I also think the Michelle Cliff’s text presented us the same  sexism to, the discrimination and the social strates, because always the woman is in a second place, and like a woman or a girl you only worry for been pretty and been nice with the people. When the protagonist remembered Larissa, her imagen always appereded like a shadow or like a hidden person, and it’s interesting how she focus in the dessaire of Larissa in have nice clothes, and how the protagonist remembered the girls of his age, the majority been pretties, and I think they was a little dumb.

2. Why do you think Lorraine’s mother mocks the workers that want independence from England?

I think maybe the figure of the Lorraine’s mother respond to a racism and petulance very notorious, because she thought that the workers that wanted the independence of England don’t been conscious about their  jobs, because the society funcinate with the poor people and the richs. The world works in binaries, that’s means for Lorraine’s mother, that the independence it’s a waste of time, is like a bad joke, and she felt good with self because she was in the top of the social scale, she didn’t need have a job, but the other people needed it, and she was gonna be right there, waiting for new employes.

3. What is a “pain tree” and how does it play a role in the story?


I’m not sure if this story is ficcional, but I think the Pain Tree is representation and metaphor of the pain of the people, but not everybody, is place that the people who suffer can leave her pain in the nature, in a part of the earth, and after of that, you can move on, you still living, and maybe you feel good. This representation is really important for the story, because made a difference between the richs and poors, and this heavy, because Larissa said something very rough about this, like this means that only the poor people feel pain, and the only way to survive is leave the pain in this tree. If you are rich and you are sad o angry probably you buy something, but in the other side, they need to be strong because the life is unfair. The Pain Tree is an option to survive in the society.

4. What is the meaning of the line “people like me would always inherit the land, but they were the ones who already possessed the Earth”?


I think is a reflexion about the existence of the Pain Tree, and how the society works, because  the people with money could have the material things, the material spaces and the social power, but the real things, the relation with the real people, with the earth, the environment, and the animals, that’s a bond that the other people don’t have, because they are use to have everything, money, clothes, food, but the real things, they can’t see them, and for they that doesn't matter.

Rockers Film Review

1. How does Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace from Rockers compare to Ivan Martin from The Harder They Come?

I think “Horsemouth” is a character very interesting, is different to Ivan Martin, because I couldn't feel it like an arrogant person like Ivan, maybe Leroy was unworried all the time, but  he was aware with the money, his job, and his family. However, they have one thing in common, and that is the possibility to showed to the jamaican society that they can live and win something in the social system.  Maybe this characters are the representation of Robin Hood, specially “Horsemouth” because he stole the rich families in Jamaica, and gives the stuffs,  for example, the domestic artefacts, to the poor people.


2. What is your favorite scene from the film? Why?


I think my favorite scene could be when the protagonist tried to stole the food of one of his friends, that one who has long hair, like rastas, a little bit fat, and who eats all day. When this is happened, the reaction of this man was so funny, because he almost tries to kill Horsemouth and other person only because they touched and stole his food. I also love food, so I can understand his reaction, also we have to understand that the food in that country and in that moment is very important, in fact, the majority of the population in the film is showed very skinny, and this is not minor.

3.  Did you like/dislike the film? Why/Why Not?


Honestly, I didn’t like the film,  I didn’t understand the story, and for solucionate this, I had to investigate about the movie, so, I don’t think that a good movie need a investigation for understand it. It happened exactly the same with They Harder They Come, I only liked the sound band, the music was a wise decision.

The Harder They Come Film Review

1. In general, what did you like and dislike about the film?

I think the music or the sonored band was excellent, in fact I still remember the songs of the movie, specially the song of the protagonist, and I can’t stop to singing it. Maybe that’s the only thing that I liked about the film, because the story was very confused, the effects was weird, and the performances was bad, really bad.

2. Who is your favorite character from the film?

Maybe could be Elsa, the girlfriend of the protagonist because she tried to be happy all the time, and for that she fighted against her religion, her “father”, against the society and the police, because she was in love, and love it's everything.

3. Would you recommend this film to someone, why/why not?

Personally no, because, like I said, I don’t liked the movie so much, yes, the film showed the reality of the musical industry in Jamaica, and also the drugs market, but the story don’t evolutionate, is not different of something else, and the stetic was not interesting or atractive. So, I don’t recommend this movie to someone

Bang Bang Club

1. In general, what did you like and dislike about the film?

I think the only thing I liked about the film was the actor who interpreted Kevin Carter, because he is so handsome, but seriously, I don’t liked the movie, not because the direction or the photography are bad, because are good, but the story and the reality that envelop the storyline is awful, I can’t believe how the ethics influence the work of the people and their lives, and that made me think in the fragile of the life and the people.

2.  How does the film make you think about your future role as journalists and film makers/producers/creators/directors?

I don’t know, I’m a journalist, and the film make think in the help that we can give to the people in a vulnerable situation, and I know what can I do when a person who I interviw starts to cry, and I feel the need to consolate her, but in the university tell us that like a journalist you have to be a objetive person, and that’s hard, and you can't consolate her, you only can watch or hear the things she or he says. Journalism is complicated.

3.- How have the dreams from the anti-apartheid struggle played out since the ANC has been in power? (Remember to use the article South Africa’s Coming Two-Party System)

I think the dreams from the anti-apartheid struggle played out since the ANC has been in power make come true in part, because is true, the new govermment abolish the old laws that perpetued de apartheid, the work distribution of the population, the access to the medical serves and the education, because before the ANC South Africa was a country where the african people was discriminate, repressed and killed  for a small group, the “white people”, but after of the elections when the ANC won with Nelson Mandela the dreams of equality and peace not are to far away of our are reality.

Cry Freedom

1. Who was your favorite character from the film? Why?

I think my favorite character is Steve Biko, because he had a personality that make think in the the society of that time, and the actual world. I love the part of the movie when he answer a question of the judge: Why you call blacks to black people if their skin is not black, if their skin is brown?, and Biko said: Why you call you white, if your skin is pink? With this I try to evidence his personality was so clever, rebellious and a lit bite funny.

Also he had good valors and a vision of the society in South Africa where could exist the equality between the african people and the white man. His perspective of life was so positive and conciliatory, and that is very important for a person who suffered the injustices of a government that  privileged one kind of person for over other.

2. What was your favorite scene from the film? Why?

Like I said, my favorite part of the film was the Biko’s trial, in that instance I feel in love of the struggle against to the apartheid, because in that scene we can saw the anger of the judicial power and the serenity of a man who fought for the right things that he think about of society. For a second the belief of the civilised and the wild be traded between the judge and Steve Biko.

3. How does the film differ from the other films? Use the article from The Guardian to help you.

Maybe this film differ from the other films because in this movie can saw the perspective and the protagonism of a journalist, who tried to make a book for tell the history and the fight of Steve Biko in the South African society. Also is interesting that Biko never was a member of the ANC, this can be a difference in relation with struggle against to the apartheid from an armed and organized group versus a group with not military tendencies, but having a social focus with the integration of the african people in South Africa.