The Tourist, Local, and Diasporic Gaze in Jamaican Cinema

Comparing Jamaica’s cinematic history to Khalik Allah’s Black Mother reveals film techniques that convey the local, tourist, and diasporic perspectives.

For Contemporary International Cinema - Fall 2021

“The most recent film I’ve seen about Jamaica is Khalik Allah’s 2018 film Black Mother. The filmmaker and photographer was born and raised in New York to an Iranian father and Jamaican mother. His young adult years were spent using various cameras for video and still photography to document his interests and the world around him. Black Mother is a documentary I’d consider to be experimental in technique and medium. Allah uses Super 8, Hi8, Mini DV, 16mm and HD video shot all over Jamaica. The film is structured by audio that rarely matches the visuals. From songs, prayers, stories from strangers, and conversations with Allah’s grandfather, this film captures Jamaica in a variety of ways.”