Suriname Msiba My Love selected for Belize Film Festival

Msiba, My Love has been selected for Belize International Film Festival 2012 to be held from the 13-17 July.  Msiba, My Love is one of eight films selected in the animation category.  From the huge number of submissions it will be one of the 64 featured films.  It is the first time that a film from Suriname will be represented at the festival.

The Official Selection boasts films from 24 different nations including Belize, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA, who all submitted the most films to be a part of this year’s festival.  Msiba, My Love was Suriname's only entry.  It is a 9 minute movie by Lily Strand Publishing and is directed by Milton Drepaul and Sean Taylor.

Stunning images of the Suriname rain forest tell the story of an ecological crime committed on the Saramakan people in Suriname in 1964 when a hydro electric dam was built and a huge artificial lake submerged their homes.

The DVD features the reading of The Tagore Prize Winning poem - Msiba, My Love by Ivan Khayiat -- read in seven languages -- English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Saran Tongo and Saramakan.

The central message in both the book and DVD is that humanity needs to appreciate that Mother Earth bestows gifts to us and we must have a humble and sacred relationship with her.

The editor for the film was Shafeek Nazir who also won the 1^st prize for art in the 2011 Tagore National Competition.  Shafeek Nazir , AlphaMax Graduate (2011 Class) was editor, graphics and animation director.  The pictures in the DVD were done by Rohit  Badatljawdharie, Rudi Moredjan and Studio TMC. 

A specially composed sound track by Rohit Badatljawdharie with hypnotic and haunting tones is in the background and gives its own signature to the DVD.

Msiba was chosen a state gift by the government of Suriname and a copy of the book and DVD was presented to 15 Caribbean heads of state.

A group in Brazil has invited Lily Strand Publishing to be part of their RIo 20 + participation in June 2012.

The organizers of the Festival expressed the hope that Msiba, My Love will garner more attention and perhaps progress to more success in other festivals, television, or even the big screen!