Film maker, Alison Saunders has been praised for creating a historically accurate docu-drama with ‘Panama Dreams’.

The film premiered at the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre in Queens Park last weekend and was attended by the cast and crew of the film along with the Minister of Culture, Stephen Lashley, members of the Pan-African community and the Cuban Ambassador, Francisco Fernandez Pena.

Professor Velma Newton, said ‘Panama Dreams’ is a critical piece of art to those in Panama of West Indian descent considering that there is little information documented over the years about the exchange of the two cultures and people.

“I think this is a very important contribution. There is very little literature out there and there are many, many [people] of West Indian descent in the US who would be extremely interested in this film.”

Spoken word artist and poet, Adrian Green, dubbed the ‘star boy’ of the film echoed similar sentiments to the Professor. He said he believes the film will bridge the gap between past and present and should be used as an educational tool.

“As you heard in the film that lack of historical connection, that lack of a historical root, really has a negative effect on future generations. It creates floating, rootless and off-centered generation. That link between culture and education has to be pushed hard.”

Panama Dreams featured gripping reenactments of Prince Collymore, played by Green, a relative of Saunders who left Barbados in 1907 to journey to Panama to work on the construction of the Canal. It also featured the likes of Marcus Myers, Patrick Foster and Dy Browne. It included interviews with Panamians who were of Barbadian descent as well as persons living in Cuba whose relatives would have migrated there from the Caribbean.

Saunders described the process of producing the film ‘a journey of discovery’ which started in 2011 and was interrupted by some time and financial constraints.

“We had this idea of finding the ancestors but when I got into the Panama society it took me a while to really understand the issues that our people faced over there.”

She also said she was pleased with the response to the film and hopes it would encourage Barbadians to seek out their roots in Panama.

The film will open to the general public on April 4 at The Olympus Theatres.