“Madulu The Seaman” Travels The World

By: Gloriah Williams / The Vincentian Newspaper

Fri, Jan 24, 2025

The film "Madulu, The Seaman”, a poignant documentary by Vincentian filmmaker Akley Olton, gained a historic achievement for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, when it was among the first Caribbean films to be featured on the prestigious Criterion Channel on November 1, 2024.  Its presentation formed part of the second season of IF/THEN Presents. 

The film’s selection for the Criterion Channel follows a successful festival run, garnering critical acclaim and several awards.  Additionally, the film accolades have increased with an early 2025 appearance in the Barbados Independent Film Festival, the International Film Festival "Fishermen of the World” in Lorient, France, and the Ely Film Festival in Minnesota, USA. 

It's global travel, started in 2021 when then film was selected for the IF/Then x Hulu Short Documentary Lab (mentorship, training, and production funding). In 2023, it premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival (Toronto, Canada); European Premiere: Olympia International Film Festival (Athens, Greece) and featured at the Agora Film Market of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival (Greece).  

It also showcased at the 2024 – Hairouna Film Festival (St. Vincent and the Grenadines); Africa Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival (Port of Spain); HERITALES – International Heritage Film Festival (Portugal); III Muestra de Cine del Caribe (Santiago, Cuba); Bahari-Sea and Coastal Film Festival (West Java, Indonesia); Festival International du Film Documentaire d’Amazonie-Caraïbes (French Guiana); Green Screen Film Festival (Trinidad & Tobago, Port of Spain); 12°N, 61°W Grenada Film Festival (St. George’s, Grenada); Canal Convergence Mini Film Fest (Arizona, USA).

In 2024 also, it was awarded Best Short Documentary Award: International Film Festival of Gibara (Cuba); Best Short Documentary Award: Belize International Film Festival; and Jury’s Special Mention: Pianeta Mare Film Festival (Napoli, Italy).

"Madulu: The Seaman” celebrates the cultural diversity, creativity, and stories that highlight important social issues, through the practice of whale catching in Barrouallie.  It features "Tall 12” the elder, seasoned whaler, and the "young man” to whom the whaling tradition will be passed.  It highlights the fact that, for the fishermen of Barrouallie, "whaling is more than a tradition—it’s survival”, although not everyone sees it that way.  It further begs the question: "Whaling: Survival or barbarism?”, as it takes the viewer into their whalers’ world, where the sea provides not just food, but a connection to their roots. 

With such a vibrant historical story, one which people across the globe have so eagerly embraced, the question must be asked: "Why isn’t such a production making waves across St. Vincent and the Grenadines?”  Many have been productions about our Vincentian culture, folklore, way of life and many more issues that are inherently pour own and which have the power of transmitting to our younger folk the understanding of where we have been and the possibility of where next we should go?  Why aren’t there occasions created for constantly showcasing these poignant pieces of our history recreated with modern-day means?

About "Madulu: The Seaman”, Akley told THE VINCENTIAN, "I’m happy about the reception globally.  As a filmmaker from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, what I wanted to do was to be local and have an international reach, so I’m happy about that.  I feel like that has been successful.”  He felt that in terms of transmitting the community value, that was still a big challenge as people seem to be interested in the accolades the film generated than the film itself.  "There’s a perplexing disconnection where the film resonates with audiences overseas,” he noted, "people have literally bought the licensing to have the film on their platform but locally we are accustomed to consume Hollywood kind-of productions.  We have found a way to produce a film with technical and production quality that rivals the best Hollywood productions, but it’s a Caribbean independent film that authentically captures how people live."

NB: For more information visit: www.akleyolton.com