My second feature is Saint Lucian leading Film Director and Music Producer, Davina Lee. Davina has been working in the field for more than ten years, and continues to produce work of the highest standard and quality. She is a very impressive young woman with a vision for the film Industry in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean, and is working tirelessly at achieving her dreams. I admire her commitment to the Creative Arts, and believe that her vision for the growth and advancement of the film sector will be a great asset to Saint Lucia and the Caribbean. She is a great role model for young people with big dreams and aspirations, and i´m confident that with her  ambition and determination, that she will continue to soar. It was an honor to speak with her and learn more about her work and current projects.

 

Film Director and Music Producer, Davina Lee

 

Lovee: Hello Davina, thank you for taking the time to speak with me.

 

Davina: (Smiles) my pleasure, I’m happy to…

 

Lovee: I see that you still have this beautiful, warm, inviting nature…

 

Davina: Thank you (smiles).

 

Lovee: I have to first mention that when I approached you to do the interview; I was really impressed by your humble and modest nature. That is very important, because there are so many young people when they attain a certain level of success they allow their egos to run away with them. I was quite pleased with your response.

 

Davina: Really?  (Smiles) Thank you. I was being honest; you really did boost my confidence by asking me to be interviewed, so thank you.

 

Lovee: You´re welcome. Ok, so about ten years ago, I met you for the first time in Miami, when you came to visit your sister Esther Lee who was auditioning for fashion week along with a mutual friend of ours, and you came to visit her at the hotel. I think you were getting ready to graduate from University at the time and was worried about the next step in your career.

 

Davina: Well, I think at the time I was more home sick, because I still had some time before I graduated. I think I was really missing home, especially my family.

 

Lovee: Homesick or not, looks to me like you figured it all out after all…(laughs)

 

Davina: (laughs)

 

Lovee: I mean, look how far you´ve come…give me a brief insight about you and your journey leading up to where you are now…

 

Davina: Well, my parents are both writers, but my sister Esther and I always knew that we wanted to work in television, but there were hardly any avenues in Saint Lucia to develop our ideas, but we were not willing to give up without trying, so we started having discussions with various people in the industry, who gave us advise on how to go about achieving our dream. We actually did not know how everything worked, and how much had to be achieved before we would be given the green light for our own show. We needed to write proposals, get advisors, investors and plead with industry people to give us a chance. It took us three years, but finally we got funded and we were able to start shooting our first show called “Vibe Central.”

 

Lovee: Wow, three years? Talk about persistence!

 

Davina: (Smiles) definitely, it was not easy, but that experience taught me to never give up. And I’m happy that we didn´t, because it was there that I learned how much I enjoy being behind the camera. While shooting our show, I discovered my passion for film directing, and I started applying to schools abroad. That’s how I found that film school in Miami. I then applied and got accepted. So after completing school in 2004, I decided to move back to Saint Lucia to pursue a career in the arts, specifically directing films.

 

Lovee: How was your school experience? Would you say that it was useful to your career?

 

Davina: Absolutely! I learned a lot while in school. It was very hands on. Sometimes we think we know it all, but when we actually start doing it we realize that there is a lot more to learn. I am happy I went. It was very instrumental to my success.

 

Lovee- I believe that we gain so much more than just a degree when we seek higher education. It speaks volume about one’s commitment, dedication and discipline.

 

Davina: Definitely, I learned so much, it was a wonderful learning experience.

 

Lovee: I took a look at your website, (davinaleefilms.com) and read through your portfolio. You have not only directed and produced music videos, but have also done two television shows. When you started your career in television, what was your vision for the film industry in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean?

 

Davina: Well, I started doing television shows but I was always interested in directing and producing films/movies. I knew that i wanted to help develop the film industry in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean in general, which was almost nonexistent at the time. I wanted to find a way to help showcase more of who we are as a people, our culture, our history, etc.

 

The Director

 

Lovee: Now that you are working in the field, is your vision coming to pass?

 

Davina: It is challenging, but there are many people who want to see it establish and are working hard towards that. I mean the Indians have Bollywood, Americans have Hollywood, so I believe that we can unite in the Caribbean and form our own “wood.” (laughs)

 

Lovee: Why not? We have so much material to work with. We have so many interesting stories and have such a multifaceted people, with a rich history and culture. We definitely have of our own stories to tell, and it´s so important that we maintain and keep our uniqueness, traditions, and culture alive. As a child, I never heard about Derek Walcott until he won the Nobel peace prize, I think it´s so important that young people know about the great men and women among them and those before them.

 

Davina: Yes and there is definitely a lot of work coming from the Caribbean now. Jamaica always had it on a small scale, but now the rest of the Caribbean is catching on, it´s only a matter of time before we have our own. I’ve already worked on a few documentaries. A few years ago, I did a documentary for save the children on child prostitution, and it was very interesting. There are so many parents in Saint Lucia who are pimping out their children, and engaging them in so many unlawful activities for financial gain.

 

Lovee: Oh my, in Saint Lucia?

 

Davina: Oh yes, you would be surprise.

 

Lovee: I´m not so surprised by this, I know that there is quite a lot that goes on in our society that is not talked about publicly, but I’m surprised that you got people to speak with you about it. How did you get people to participate in such a documentary?

 

Davina: Well, it was not easy. For those who spoke on camera, we had to hide their faces. Most people spoke off camera.

 

Lovee: Was it ever aired?

 

Davina: Yes, it aired for some-time back home.

 

Lovee: It´s good that at least it was aired, and people got to see some of those harsh realities.

 

Davina: Yes, because you never know how that can go sometimes. We also did a documentary on the history of the Peace Corp in the Eastern Caribbean which was also very interesting.

 

Lovee: You are presently working on a film; tell me a little more about it.

 

Davina: Yes, I am directing and producing a film that my father actually wrote called, “The Coming of Org.”

 

Lovee: “The Coming of Org,” hmmm…interesting title. Is it fictional?

 

Davina: Somewhat, he was a Rasta back in the day. So it´s a three part film, only forty five minutes, which talks about coming face to face with who you are, and learning to accept or like the person staring back at you.

 

Lovee: Sounds like something I will enjoy.

 

Davina: I´m sure you will. I´m shooting, directing, producing, and working with some really good actors, Jason Siffltet, Natalie LaPorte and Mcdonald Dickson among others. I started working on this movie in 2009. I got an award from United Nations Industrial Development Organization to develop this movie. They wanted to boost the film Industry in the Caribbean, and chose five directors from the Caribbean, and I got chosen. We met and had a retreat to make our project film ready. We also went to the Toronto film festival to network some more. I was still missing funding to complete it, and thankfully the previous Government provided us with the funding to help complete the film.

 

Lovee: Congratulations! That´s fantastic! When will it be featured?

 

Davina: I want to submit it to the Carnes Film Festival in March, so I’m hoping before then.

 

Lovee: You have evolved into a leader in television production in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean, what keeps you motivated and inspired?

 

Davina: That´s a tough question, it´s so easy to lose motivation, but I am passionate about what I do, and I believe that it´s making a difference in people´s live, and that keeps me inspired.

 

Lovee: I can remember seeing one of the first videos that you directed and being totally blown away. I felt like I was looking at a video on MTV or BET, in terms of originality, production quality and artistic direction. I could tell then that you would go far in your field. Who is your role model in the field?

 

Davina: There are quite a few people work that I admire in the field.  I really like the work of Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles. He directed the movie “City of Gods,” The Constant Gardner” and others. I love his work. I like the Mexican and Brazilian film workers. They showcase their own environment, they make it real, and don´t try to go Hollywood.  They stay true to their culture. For e.g., my film will be about 50 to 75 % in creole. The music is in creole, in fact, we have the music of Charles Cadet in there, and he is also making a cameo in the movie. Shane Ross is doing an original song for the movie. I´m also using music from Martinque, so it has a wonderful creole theme to it which I love.

 

Lovee: That really makes me happy to hear. It´s so important to embrace our uniqueness and the part of our culture that helps define us as a people. It tells such a powerful story which people from other cultures also appreciate and enjoy learning about, so it´s important that we embrace it and is proud of it.

 

Davina: Definitely, that was so important to me for this film.

 

UN-CUT

 

 

Lovee: Do you think that Saint Lucia and the Caribbean can have a successful and thriving film Industry like that of first world countries?

 

Davina: I honestly believe so. We have not one, but two Noble Laureates, a Saint Lucia movie at the Oscars is not that farfetched, it is very possible.

 

Lovee: Yes-I! You first have to see it and believe it to achieve it, so the sky is definitely the limit! I believe that too! (Smiles)

 

Davina: Definitely, we have so many talented actors, in fact, I never realized how many talented actors we have until we had a casting call, and at the auditions we were surprised at how much talent there was.

 

Lovee: I´m sure. I love Natalie LaPorte, I think she is very talented.

 

Davina: Yes, she is really good.

 

Lovee: I know that in the Caribbean, Creative Arts is not something that is given priority and it´s very difficult to get funding, sponsorship or find avenues to showcase one´s talent, what are some of the struggles for you in that aspect, and how have you been able to overcome it.

 

Davina: Well, there is a lot of interest and there are many people who are interested in the field, but there just isn´t enough revenue to develop it as we would like. That can be frustrating at times, but I always seem to find ways to get my project out there, it´s hard work but you have to be determined.

 

Lovee: You are in a field dominated by men. Has it been challenging for you breaking the glass ceiling?

 

Davina: (Laughs) actually, it´s not as difficult, because I use it to my advantage. One might feel like they have to prove themselves, but then my work speaks for itself. I have a good relationship with the men in my field.  I respect them and they respect me. They are generally very supportive.

 

Visionary Woman

 

Lovee: And you just seem like a really cool, down to earth person who can get along with anyone, so I’m not the least bit surprise (Smiles).

 

Davina: (Smiles) Thank you.

 

Lovee: You´ve directed and produced music videos for artists locally and regionally. Everything looks great on camera, but what are some of the challenges you face behind the scenes?

 

Davina: (Laughs) Some-times I have to work with some big egos, but I don´t let it bother me too much.

 

Lovee: (Smiles) Oh boy, the divas and divos  (laughs).

 

Davina: (Laughs)

 

Lovee: Who was one of your favorite artists to work with?

 

Davina: I like young Mecca, he is a local rapper. My first video was for Shayne Ross, we have a good friendship/ relationship. One of the artists I really love is Nelson Serieux (Cherry L) who now lives in New York. He is really good, and works hard at marketing his work and showcasing his talent.

 

Lovee: In terms of musical talent, who are your favorite young artists from Saint Lucia?

 

Davina: The three I mentioned above.

 

Lovee: How are people responding to their music?

 

Davina: I think people are responding very well. Funding is always a problem, so they are not able to market themselves as they would like, but their music is well received by the locals. I think local artist Claudia Edward markets herself very well. I just finished two videos for her that’s coming out soon.

 

Lovee: She really does, I look forward to seeing them. In terms of music, what do you think is missing in Saint Lucia to take our talents and music on a more regional and international level?

 

Davina: I think artists and musicians needs to educate themselves on the business side of the Industry. It should not be a hobby or just for fun. They need to learn how to market themselves by capitalizing on the social media networks, twitter and Facebook. They can even sell their music on iTunes, so there are many ways to go out there and market one self and be heard.

 

Lovee: Definitely! I believe that artists and musicians also have a responsibility to put out quality music that can appeal to an audience worldwide. Most artists make music only with the Saint Lucian market in mind, yet they expect to appeal to an audience regionally and internationally. While we must appreciate our own, sometimes we have to challenge ourselves and raise the standards to attract greater. Mediocrity seldom attracts excellence.

 

Davina:  Exactly! That is my problem with some. Some of them feel like they´ve arrived after one hit song or minimal success, I always encourage them to challenge themselves and push the envelope.

 

Lovee: You are from a family of talented and gifted people in the creative arts. Your father is well known, respected poet and writer, Robert Lee, your mom Jacinta Lee has been actively involved in all areas of the arts in Saint Lucia, your sister Esther Lee is a former model turned stylist, and you two have even formed you´ll own production company together. You have mentioned being passionate about the creative arts industry, how would you like to see that Industry change or develop in Saint Lucia?

 

Davina: One of the first things is establishing Arts program in schools. From Infant schools right through the Community College. I believe that there should be a division of Performing Arts at the Community College also.  The Government also needs to to put concessions for people in the Industry bringing stuff into the country. We also need more grants, so we can have more production and activities from Saint Lucia. We have talent; we just need avenues to showcase our talents, and the necessary resources.

 

 

Lovee: One of the reasons I decided to showcase and highlight talented young people like yourself from Saint Lucia, is because I don´t believe that much of it is being done. A lot of us constantly focus on all the negatives in reference to the youth, but I believe that there are a lot of ordinary Saint Lucians doing extraordinary things, and it´s so important for young people to have role models and people they can aspire to be like, so they can believe in their dreams and believe that it can be achieved. And I know that perhaps your story could inspire a young girl or boy with dreams and aspirations to do what you do.

 

Davina: Thank you, it´s something that is needed.

 

Lovee: Who is your role-model on a personal and professional level?

 

Davina: On a personal level, my mother. She is such a positive force in my life and raised us believing that anything is possible. She always encourages me, and is always there for me. Professionally, I really admire our Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott.

 

Davina with her mother, Writer Jacinta Lee

 

Lovee: I know that you are involved in multiple projects, recently I know you was at a conference in Denmark, what was that experience like for you?

 

Davina: Yes, it was world music expo, featuring world music. There was a Caribbean pavilion made up of artists and Industry people. My main reason for going was to network with people form the French and Dutch speaking Caribbean. I did a lot of networking with the French- Haitians, Guadeloupe, and Martinique etc. There were quite a few musicians’ producers and label owners within the region. I actually have a meeting with a guy from Martinique in reference to that next week, so it was a good avenue to network with people from all areas that was all in one place.

 

Lovee: Who would you like to collaborate or work with from Saint Lucia or the Caribbean?

 

Davina: Rihanna! (Laughs) That would be great. I love her and her music.

 

Lovee: Yes! She is really making Barbados and the Caribbean proud. I have no doubt that she will be calling you soon enough.(Smiles).

 

Davina: (Laughs) I hope so.

 

Lovee: I know that it´s a challenge to keep up and keep going when often there can be so many obstacles and people who will question and criticize your abilities. How do you maintain a level head and keep your morale up?

 

Davina: I just try to keep focus on what I’m doing. I know what I want and what I want to achieve, so it´s not easy to get distracted. I maintain a good relationship with my family, who I am very close to. I also pray a lot, and just keep surrounding myself with positive people.

 

Lovee: Prayer is so important, and it works. What advice would you give to young people pursuing a career in Fine Arts?

 

Davina: Focus on what you want to achieve. Believe in yourself, even though it takes ten years it will happen eventually. One of my inspirations is Jerry Seinfeld. He said that after  they did the first episode of their show, it stayed on the shelf for five years before it was picked up, and now it´s one of, if not the number one played sitcom in the US.

 

Lovee: One of my favorite shows (Smiles). Ok, so what do you enjoy doing outside of work?

 

Davina: (Laughs) sleep! I don´t get enough of it, and I wish I could travel to all the places you’ve been. I love to travel, if I could, I would travel every three weeks. I love everything about it.

 

Lovee: Well, you have done your fair share of traveling also with your show, and I know that you will be doing even more of it in the future as you continue to soar.

 

Davina: (Smiles) Let´s hope so.

 

Lovee:  (Smiles) You´ll see, people will be sending you their private jet to come shoot for them. Just remember the little people like me (Laughs).

 

Davina: (Laughs)

 

Lovee: Davina, it was a pleasure getting to know you better. I know that you will continue to soar in the film and music industry, and you will continue to make Saint Lucia proud. I wish you continued success and hopefully, who knows, maybe we can work on a documentary one day together, I have quite a few ideas. Thank you for speaking with me.

 

Davina: My pleasure, and if I can be of any help with your book, please don´t hesitate to ask.

 

Lovee: Thank you (smiles).

 

For more information about Davina Lee, log on to her website: www.davinaleefilms.com