TTFF starts with Chee$e

The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival’s (TTFF) opening night film, Chee$e, is directed by Trinidadian filmmaker Damian Marcano. Marcano is excited to have the Caribbean premiere of his film at TTFF/22, a media release said.

Festival organisers say this year’s TT Film Festival is set to captivate audiences with its powerful stories and striking visuals. The festival runs from September 22-28.

Seven years in the making, Chee$e tells the story of Skimma (Akil Williams), a young man who has to come up with a plan when he gets a girl pregnant. Stuck in a town referred to as behind god’s back, presumably in TT, Skimma is desperate to escape his situation. With dreams that are larger than island life, he takes the lessons learned from working with the local cheesemaker to his new enterprise – baking weed into blocks of cheese and selling it.

Chee$e takes the viewer on a ride with Skimma as he schemes to achieve wealth, becoming the island’s most prolific supplier as demand for his product grows. The audience experience all the highs, lows and increasing risk of danger right along with him.

A twisted rags-to-riches tale, the authentic portrayal of island life and one man’s struggle to create his own niche, Chee$e is the first instalment of a planned trilogy and its remarkable performances, score and visuals do not disappoint, the release said.

Marcano describes Chee$e as a vibe and a depiction of who we are.

“I couldn’t have predicted that Chee$e would have had the type of reception that it has had thus far – and now I can’t wait to take it in at home. I hope people can take away that they should just be themselves because that is what we did when we made the film…we stayed true to who we are. Chee$e is a vibe; let’s keep the vibes going,” Marcano said in the release.

Described as “a model of what independent filmmaking should be” by Richard Brody in the New Yorker, the film has been praised for its “exuberance and scrutiny, craft and sincerity, hands-on artistry and incisive observation,” the release said.

Marcano also served as the film’s cinematographer, screenwriter, and composer – his unique way of seeing is apparent throughout.

Marcano began his career by shooting shorts in the region: The Little Boy and the Ball, Giants, and Heart of a Monster. His award-winning feature film God Loves the Fighter racked up numerous prizes worldwide, setting him on a path to direct Hollywood titles, including HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty, and FX’s Snowfall, the release said.

Marcano will be present at the opening night screening which takes place at IMAX on September 21, with a pre-screening cocktail reception. The afterparty will be held at the Dalai Llama (Lower Commons, One Woodbrook Place, Woodbrook).

Tickets are available online.