A documentary about the introduction of the new EU sugar regime and its effect on one micro community–Belle Vue on West Bank Demerara–has aired over the last two weekends on British Television. In total, the film was aired 17 times on the Community Channel.
Bittersweet; the Last Happy Christmas in Utopia was filmed at Christmas 2005 in the Utopian housing scheme hard by Wales Estate. It was made by former BBC producer John Mair with budgetary support from the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association and the British Department for International Development.
Half an hour long, the documentary features several families in the Utopian housing scheme developed 55 years ago with the help of the late Sir Jock Campbell of Bookers. Each householder then was given a plot of land on which to farm sugar to be sold on to the estate. Over the years, migration has hit the scheme hard with some streets losing up to half their residents to the attractions of the developed world. Production has declined, some plots have gone to grass and their market too will be further hit by the new EU regime and its 39% price cut. Just five original residents still survive.
The film was made in co-operation with the community leaders and it paints a not very rosy picture for the future of sugar in Belle Vue and on the West Bank in general. The decline of the settlement will accelerate or it could become another commuter suburb of Georgetown.
However, President Bharrat Jagdeo who visited Belle Vue during the shooting reassured the residents that sugar does have a future in Guyana even if that involves diversification into ethanol production and similar projects. His message was well received on the night.
Bittersweet was shown as part of ‘Fairtrade Fortnight’ in the UK which highlighted development issues. It is hoped that it will get an airing on TV in Guyana in the near future.
