‘A Shade of Indigo’ scores big wins at Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase

In a little over a year, the Jamaican short film A Shade Of Indigo has come a long way. Beginning its journey with a debut showing at the 2023 staging of The Shot List film festival, the story of a young girl’s struggle with self-acceptance and the brutal reality of cosmetic skin bleaching, has travelled the world.

The film has been shown at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, the Jamaica Brew Festival Showcase in the USA, the Africa Film TT Film Festival in Trinidad, the Gatffest Film Festival in Jamaica, and has won prizes for Best Short Film at the Grenada Film Festival, official selection at the Black Star International Film Festival in Ghana, special mention at the Jeune Regards at the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival in Guadeloupe, and most recently, Best First Time Filmmaker and Best Breakthrough Performance (Individual) at the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase in France.

The success of the film is cause for celebration for the filmmakers, but speaking with Producer Tanya Batson-Savage paints a picture that’s pretty, but not without its disappointments. “We have had definite highs and lows. When you get accepted into a festival it’s always great and euphoric. When you don’t get accepted, you just start questioning. We have had to remind ourselves that not getting into a festival is not necessarily about the quality of the film.”

Batson-Savage’s shift in perspective is something that became a comfort for Director Hanif James who said, “I think it was something very sobering that Tanya taught me which is that you go where people open doors for you, and I think all the film festivals we’ve gotten into to, they’ve opened their doors to the conversation that we want to have, and it’s been very fruitful.”

A Shade of Indigo deals with a local issue but according to James and Batson-Savage, the message of the film has struck a chord with audiences. “In Trinidad a lot of them said they experienced colourism in their own family, but they also didn’t realise it was so grave in Jamaica, and it made them grieve for their Caribbean neighbours.” James also detailed the reaction of the audience at Cannes who were able to relate to the story of a dark-skinned girl’s rejection of her natural skin tone. “It was interesting to hear that yes the human condition is not unique to any one of us and we are really connected by our stories.”

While the film’s story might not be a direct reflection of the places it has been shown in, Batson-Savage recounts the impression it’s left behind. “It was in the Grenada Film Festival, they were saying although they may not have instances of skin bleaching, they found that the story resonated with them as a story about modern blackness. So you find that even though we’re speaking to a very specific Jamaican situation, because it deals with the human condition then we find it has resonated with audiences very different from our own.”

The feedback from audiences has allowed the filmmakers to curate a conversation around blackness that James describes as important not just for getting the message of the film out, but to create potential relationships to further its future. A foot in the door in regions that were previously terra incognita for the filmmakers, is a feather in their caps, however the crowning achievement thus far has been its recognition by Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase. There, A Shade of Indigo was nominated for four awards, taking home two, one for James as the film’s director, and one for Lauren Robinson the lead actress.

“After being rejected by other film festivals you think maybe this is the end of the road, and then we get this email that we’ve been nominated in these four categories. It was remarkable. People were seeing the value in the film, and in the cast.” said James of the accolades received by the film. Batson-Savage recounts the moment she was able to share the news with Lauren and her family. “I think for me the highlight was when I called Lauren’s mom and told her Lauren had won Best Breakthrough Performance, Lauren’s family was in the background and you could hear her brothers and sisters and her dad going, “Lauren! Lauren!” For me, it was such a heartwarming moment. It’s validation for her work. She is so young, but she is extremely talented.”

Batson-Savage also spoke to James winning the award for directing. “You can’t let other people validate you, but sometimes it is good to get a nod, to say yeah you’re not delusional, other people think you’re great too.”

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies. Email feedback to entertainment@gleanerjm.com.