Paula Lindo – Our histories, stories, present, future.

Dreams in Transit is a haunting exploration of the experiences, thoughts and feelings of migrant Caribbean people. Director Karen Martinez said the film came from her questioning what it meant to be a Trinidadian living in London who still identified as coming from the Caribbean.

“Where is home?  What am I saying when I say I’m a Trinidadian? Or anybody else who comes from somewhere else to another place,  certainly for a considerable amount of time. What does that mean to identify yourself as the place you’re from?”

Martinez said her film isn’t meant to address the topic of involuntary migration, caused by wars and the like, as this is a different experience to voluntary migration for work and education, etc. “I’m exploring the whole concept of identity and belonging. Home is a big academic subset that people look into and write theses on, etc. but, I didn’t want to do something that was academic. I wanted to do something visual because I’m a filmmaker, I wanted it to have an emotional heart that people could relate to but I wanted it to be filled with ideas, things that people might think about or that might get them to think about their situation. It’s not just a personal story, it’s one that lots of different people can read themselves into and place themselves in. It’s also an investigation and I tried to make it so that it’s a reflection on those things, so as much as I’m asking questions and I’m trying to find out things about it, I’m not really providing answer. I  didn’t want it to be something that was didactic and told you this is what identity is, this is what belonging means. I wanted to offer up a few things for conversation and allow people to converse with it in a way and open up conversation around Trinis abroad.”

Martinez said the theoretical backbone of her film was provided by Cultural Studies Scholar Marsha Pearce. “She really ties up all the theory that I was interested in. I had spoken to her beforehand and I really identified with the work what she’s written as she vocalizes a lot of the things that interest me.”

Martinez said she thinks she’s achieved her goal, as she’s had persons approach her about the film and it seems to mean something different to each one. The 30-minute film features powerful, thought-provoking interviews, including Peter Minshall, Monique Roffey, Georgia Popplewell and Atillah Springer, coupled with breathtaking images and imagery.