New film urges kindness for Tobago’s neglected animals

TOBAGO-BASED animal welfare activist and filmmaker Elspeth Duncan's latest documentary, Charlotteville Tails, is set to premiere at the Caribbean Film Festival on June 15.

This 34-minute film follows three children from the fishing village of Charlotteville, Tobago, as they help neglected dogs in their community.

Duncan, the founder of NGO Venus: Doggess of Love, is known for rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals across Trinidad and Tobago and abroad.

She is also a Newsday columnist and an award-winning filmmaker with over two decades of experience. She has received accolades including the Commonwealth Vision Award (2005) and Best Trinidad and Tobago Short Film at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (2018).

The idea for Charlotteville Tails was sparked during a career fair last November at the Charlotteville Methodist Primary School, where she hosted an arts and media table for children aged five-nine.

“I wanted to show them that when you use the media to get certain messages out, things that are important to you, things that need to be said, you need to raise awareness.”

She showed them before-and-after photos of a rescued dog during her presentation.

When they saw how much better the animal looked, they screamed in excitement.

“I had a small camera that I gave to the children and I had my camera, and we just did like a rough video thing. And while we were doing that, and I saw how they were responding to certain animal issues, I thought, ‘You know what? Let me do an actual film.’”

The film’s synopsis says, “In Tobago, where beauty and suffering sometimes go hand in hand, three children from the fishing village of Charlotteville embark upon a mission to help dogs in need. Through their simple actions and voices, Emily, Kaija and Zakii bring hope and deliver a powerful, desperately-needed message on behalf of animals.

Duncan initially wanted to begin the project in January in hopes of completing it in time for a film festival deadline in April.

But with no sponsorship by February, she “simplified (her) concept” and did it anyway.

A friend from the UK donated £50, while the owner of Mechel Marketing Ltd donated $10,000 to assist with vet bills of the animals involved. She said a few friends also donated $100 each.

She said she “feels good” about the final result as its message is important.

“At the end of it, I think people will be more aware of (animal cruelty/welfare)…It's like giving a glimpse into things that you may not necessarily see on a social level.

“We go into the lives of certain animals. So I think it does the job that it sets out to do, which is really to raise awareness and promote being kind to animals.”

Asked if she got emotional during the creation process, she said no.

“Unfortunately, every day I see some kind of animal horror or things that could be difficult for the average person to look at. But I'm used to it, so none of these things affect me.”

She added, “I think it's a very real documentary in the sense that nothing was planned. The animals that appeared in it came to me, as opposed to me going out and looking for them. So it was all very natural, organic.”

Its trailer can be viewed on the Facebook page Charlotteville Tails – Documentary.

It will be available for public viewing at 12 pm on June 15 at CinemaOne, Woodbrook.

Those interested can buy tickets to the film festival at caribbeanfilmfestival.co.

Tickets will also be on sale at the venue.

She said a Tobago viewing will be organised soon.