The Lavway
The Story
From the visionary Creative Director of The Lost Tribe, LAVWAY is an experimental film based on traditions of Trinidad’s unique Carnival. The film harnesses the energy of the mas and is a rousing ode to the origins and rituals of the festival; awash in mysticism, vibrant colour and pulsating soca music.
A Message from the creative director of lavway, Valmiki Maharaj.
At the end of 2020, the masquerader calls, tweets and posts led us to think of a concept called ‘Dear Carnival’, where masqueraders would be given the opportunity to write and express themselves first-hand to Carnival personified…
I don’t think we knew what we were getting into until we started receiving and reading their submissions.
At the same time, I was bubbling the LAVWAY pot and I don’t think I realized at the time how much each related to the other… LAVWAY was being prepared as my love letter to Carnival… so I would like to share with you my ‘Dear Carnival’ submission.
Dear Carnival,
How yuh GOIN?
It’s been so long and so much has happened. Carnival 2020 was the best, and thank you for leaving us with the best road memories ever… but shame on you for not telling us what was to come.
Our memories have been lasting and have taken us through these difficult times. I have seen more #TBT images and videos than I have ever seen before. People clung onto you for hope, memory, and good vibrations amidst everything that was happening…
Thank you for being there for our masqueraders and family, for being a beacon of light and for reminding them of good times during not so good times.
Dear Carnival ,
Dis ting tryin to mash we up … 2020 was hard for all of us, especially creatives. We had extreme ups and downs and I felt like I ran out of gas by the end of last year – I didn’t know what to do with myself and I didn’t know why … but when we cried, you called out to us and I was so happy you did, that I had to answer.
The call and response of LAVWAY started from you and we came in as the chorus… LAVWAY is the language, the music and the driving force of those who came before us and you knew that we needed that to push us through this hard time. You knew that we would find power and strength in the rhythm of the creative process and our drums would beat louder and louder again.
My dear Carnival , LAVWAY Is our love story to you – but really it’s the story of you and so I suppose your story to us… it’s a tale that shows everything I just said … how we feel for you and how you make us feel. It’s a story that shows how people have tried so many times over the years in times of war, and disease, to say that you were not coming, but you did … because your people needed you.
LAVWAY is a story that started before us and will go on way after us and I feel so lucky to be part of the chorus.
Thank you for allowing me to play, create and tell your story with freedom, love and respect and so in tribute to you here I go.
Once upon a time there were three siblings… Savannah, Time and Carnival. They been around way before you and I and way before they were called by those names. Savannah was the youngest … he was fun and carefree and saw life and our world develop around him… he was wise and caring and knew all the stories of our people. He saw things differently and bent reality with every passing breeze, rustle in the trees and smile on a child’s face.
Time was the eldest, the big brother and would always bubalize Savannah, pushing him around here and there as big brothers do but always keeping a watchful eye.
And then there was Carnival, their sister and the apple of their eye. She brought balance to them and acted as judge, jury and mediator to the brother’s feuds. She was strong, confident, but nurturing and caring like a mother to them.
Every year without fail Carnival visited her brothers. Savannah, particularly looked forward with great excitement. This year, he heard someone say that she wasn’t coming… he got upset, but then laughed in their face and waited patiently for his sister …
And it is here that our Story of LAVWAY is told.
Dear Carnival,
Your story is so BIG
It can’t be told in one go and so this is just the beginning … I don’t know what will come next but I promise you that I have dedicated my life to telling our stories and have only just started .
Your story is so wide that it can’t be told by one person alone … it took a big team and bring this into being. Ryan, Shane Oliver and the film team told your story thru their lenses, Lou and Freetown raised every idea with sound, Muhammed spoke to you with poetry and words, and Bridgette danced this poetry into our hearts.
Natallia, Renee, JP, Keon, Atiba, Shandelle, Shawn, Kriston and Solange sewed, painted and decorated you into being. Kendal, Danielle, Gaby and our Lost Tribe, UEL and TRIBE teams fought constantly with your big brother ‘Time’ and made this happen, despite his greatest efforts, while Antron and Carib stood by us giving support like you brothers Poui trees. Our families, friends, masqueraders and Trinidad and Tobago missed you and believed in you so much that they gave us the energy to make this happen.
You have given us so much for so long … I hope you like what we have for you this year.
Dear Carnival , welcome home and thank you for everything …
Love, VAL
