NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 5 jamaica at Paul H. Williams/Gleaner Writer ROY T. Anderson was born in Ridge Pen, St Elizabeth, in September 1962, the same year Jamaica attained political Independence. In 1974, he moved withhis family toToronto. Hemigrated to the United States in 1998, and is still living there. Yet, residing outside of Jamaica has not made him forget his roots andwhat it means to him. “It’sasourceofprideformeknowing I was born the same year as Jamaica’s Independence.Thatmeans I’m inextricably tied to the country of my birth, for which I’m extremely proud,” he told TheGleaner. And his story got even more interesting, as he is a descendant of the AccompongMaroons of St Elizabeth by way of his mother. When asked what it meant to him to be a descendant of a people who got their freedom long before 1962, he said, “That’s another source of pride for me, when I think about the heroismof myMaroon ancestors more than 300 years ago. The fierce resistance and independent streak theyexhibitedwas abeacon for others whowere engaged in the flight from bondage.” And, was it that fighting, fearless spirit that he inherited from his ancestors that made him evolve into a stuntman/stunt coordinator? NOT THE DREAM Anderson saidhedidnot set out to be a stuntman. Instead, he dreamed of being a sports broadcaster, having an extensive sports background. It helped him to segue into stunting in 1981, when heworkedon a filmwith apre-FamilyTies Michael J. Fox. Since then, he has played double for the likes ofWill Smith, Jamie Foxx, Denzel WashingtonandMorganFreeman. He saidhe is“still fallingand jumping, but notmaybe to the level of 10-20 years ago”. He’s now teaching people how to jump and fall. He has also taken himself from in front of the lenses to behind the camera. So far, he has produced, written and directed three fulllength documentaries viz Akwantu: The Journey (2012),QueenNanny: Legendary Maroon Chieftainess (2015), and African Redemption: The Life and Legacy of Marcus Garvey, whichhad itsworldpremiere inTrinidad last year andwas recently screened to a full house at the British Film Institute in London. Akwantu:TheJourney documents the story of the Jamaican Maroons, the first successful freedom fighters in theWesternHemisphere. It is about theorigin, evolution, journey, andselfredemption of a group of people on whose shoulders thebirthof Jamaica as an independent nation rested. They led the way, and wereundefeatedby the British with whom they signed two treaties of peaceand friendship, one in 1738 and the other in 1739. From the Maroons, Anderson pulled QueenNanny, and shone the spotlight on to her. Shot in Jamaica, Ghana and the United States over the course of two years, the film highlights the struggles for freedom by the Jamaican Maroons, led by the indomitable military genius that Nanny was. From her stronghold in the Blue Mountains, this spiritual leader used guerilla warfare tactics to wear down the resolve of their British antagonists. It was screened to a capacity audience at the United Nations. On a roll, Anderson selected another Jamaican historical giant, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jamaica’s first national hero, as the subject of his third film. Through it he tells the story of a precocious boy who was born in St Ann, and how he evolved into a man whose influence on the African diaspora is still unequalled today. Through the Universal Negro ImprovementAssociation, Garveywas unrelenting in his quest to change the negative mindset and attitude that black people the world had over towards themselves. He told them, “Up you mighty race, you can accomplish what you will.” Clearly, the trilogy focuses on subjects that are a major part of Jamaica’s history and heritage, as Anderson’s mission is to expose the untold stories “through a lens that does not glorify the hunter”. “It’s important forme todocument aspects of our history and culture because, for far too long, others havebeen tellingour history through lenseswhicharevery skewed. As long as I’m alive my ‘tale’will never glorify thehunter. I’msuper proud tobeone of the lions now telling our stories,” the award-winning film-maker said. Roy T. Anderson, who was born in St Elizabeth in 1962, has evolved into a respected, award-wining film-maker who is focusing on, but not limited to, Jamaican heritage and history. CONTRIBUTED Independence baby tells our stories through films JAMAICA AT 60: ST ELIZABETH
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