Muhammad Muwakil is one of the emerging stars of the Trinidadian poetry scene, and recent performances in other parts of the Caribbean are winning him a regional audience as well. (Your Antilles blogger was there when Muwakil brought down the house during one of the open-mike sessions at the Calabash Literary Festival in Jamaica in 2007.) He recently collaborated with filmmaker Janine Fung on a film version of his poem “4 a.m.”, an unsparing commentary on social conditions in urban Trinidad, set in his home neighbourhood of Belmont. Beautifully shot in a palette of shadows and streetlamp amber, it captures both the insomniac atmosphere of east Port of Spain at night and the strength and anger of Muwakil’s voice.
“Tomorrow is not promised to beasts or men”
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