The debut feature-length work by Maxime Jean-Baptiste follows Melrick, a young teenage boy, as he spends a summer in French Guiana with his grandmother Nicole. The film traces conversations between Melrick and Nicole that reveal the tragic circumstances of the death of her son Lucas Diomar who was murdered 11 years earlier.

The long-lasting repercussions of his death are revealed through a spectrum of voices from the wider community. Combining scripted scenes with documentary and intimate archival material, Jean-Baptiste develops a richly layered portrait of Lucas, the absence at the centre of the film, and of French Guiana itself – situated on the northeastern coast of South America, it remains a department of France. Made collectively in collaboration with family and friends, Jean-Baptiste challenges the colonial present of French Guiana and offers a vibrant presentation of the place and people, its culture and music. Through this chorus Kouté vwa (translated as “listen to the voices”) proposes ways to dismantle past trauma and cycles of violence through collective expression.

Presented in collaboration with Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival and World Records Journal.

Followed by a Q&A with Maxime Jean-Baptiste.