“A happy face. A thumping bass for a loving race. Happy Carnival.”
What’s it all about? “A visual mosaic of the colour and music of the largest street festival in the world outside of Trinidad & Tobago.” [NXNE]
“Carnival!” is a somewhat-short film (47 minutes) by Don Letts, the Grammy Award-winning film director and musician hailing from London, England. Enamored by his parents’ Jamaican background, Mr. Letts started listening to reggae early — even befriending Bob Marley at the age of twenty. He is often credited as the man who brought punk and reggae music together, inspiring a generation of fusion-leaning musicians such as The Clash and The Slits.
Mr. Letts continues his love for reggae and all things Caribbean in the documentary “Carnival!”. It is based on the Notting Hill Carnival, one of the largest street festivals in the world, which takes place every year in London, England. If you’re from this side of the pond, you are probably more familiar with Toronto’s annual Caribana festival. So, think about that but — you know — with really, really awful dental work. Sometimes it’s just hard to look at.
The documentary is informative but doesn’t stray too far from being entertaining. There are some repetitive sections — even some quotes and footage are used twice — but these sections are used to push home a point. They don’t feel overly redundant. The bulk of the documentary provides a detailed account of the changes in Caribbean music through three generations (immigrants, first-generation and second-generation Londoners). This musical history spans calypso, soca, reggae, raga, R&B and hip-hop. Being Jamaican and knowing all of this like the back of my hand, I was dozing in and out at times. The people around me, however, found this section of the film entirely intriguing.
All in all, this is a documentary made to profess love for a particular pastime of the director. After watching the documentary, I am positive that the Notting Hill Carnival would be one hell of a weekend. But, to be honest, I’ve got Caribana — and it’s only a bike-ride away.
Notes: Directed by Don Letts.
Sasha James, otherwise known as The Final Girl Project, is a twenty-something Torontonian with an unhealthy amount of her week reserved for film and television. She also moonlights as The Doctor's companion on Saturdays. 
Hey – Just curious, were you thinking about going to the first Dundas Square movie tomorrow night? If you are I’d love to meet up there and finally say “hey”.
Lemme know: madhatter(dot)21(at)hotmail(dot)com
I watched a couple Don Letts movies as per your recommendation. They’re pretty good. I know a lot about The Clash now.
@Hatter I hope you got my (late) email. I’ve got food poisoning and no internet, so, I’ve been a bit of a flake lately.
@Lisa The Clash are fantastic. You’ve inspired me to listen to them very loudly on my iPod.
When’s the festival? I think I’ll check it out.
@Andrea The festival is in August, around the UK bank holiday. I don’t know exactly when that is, however. So, you’ll probably have to look it up on their website.