BEFORE THE TREES WAS STRANGE (US, 2016, 1H 19M)
Right after my graduation at the end of 2015, I was excited to join Derek in San Miguel as an editor for his feature documentary film. It was a massive project with over 600 hours of footage and the two-year long collaboration have taught me so much and prepared me professionally to embrace bigger projects upon returning home. Thank you, Derek!
"Before the Trees Was Strange" is one man's journey from the Bahamas, where he grew up "white," to the United States, where he was embraced as "black". The film takes us on a complex family exploration into identity, love, race and forgiveness.
*Premiered at the 13th Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) 2016
Official Selection of 12th Annual Harlem International Film Festival 2017
*Official Selection of Flathead Lake International Cinemafest 2017
*Official Selection of San Diego Black Film Festival 2017
*Screened at REEL DOCS:Documentary Film Series 2017 at San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
*Special Screening organized by the Boston's Office of Arts & Culture, as part of its Racial Equity Learning Series 2017 in collaboration with Suffolk University Philosophy Department. April 18, 2017
"Before the Trees Was Strange" is one man's journey from the Bahamas, where he grew up "white," to the United States, where he was embraced as "black". The film takes us on a complex family exploration into identity, love, race and forgiveness.
*Premiered at the 13th Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) 2016
Official Selection of 12th Annual Harlem International Film Festival 2017
*Official Selection of Flathead Lake International Cinemafest 2017
*Official Selection of San Diego Black Film Festival 2017
*Screened at REEL DOCS:Documentary Film Series 2017 at San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
*Special Screening organized by the Boston's Office of Arts & Culture, as part of its Racial Equity Learning Series 2017 in collaboration with Suffolk University Philosophy Department. April 18, 2017
BEFORE THE TREES WAS STRANGE (US, 2016, 1H 19M)
-
SAN MIGUEL DE ELLENDE, MEXICO
-
NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS
-
BOSTON, MA
<
>
Post-production and rough-cut screenings in Mexico, 2015-2016
Feb 2017: San Miguel Screening and Q&A
At the screening of Derek's film Before the Trees Was Strange at the Santa Ana Theater at the Biblioteca on Thursday, Feb 2, 2017.
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Time seems to stand still in this beautiful old colonial town. San Miguel de Allende is located in central Mexico surrounded by the Sierra Madre Mountains. It is 6,600 hundred feet above sea level, and that’s probably the closest you get to paradise, as I call it.
Last few years, my travels have taken me to some real magical places on earth through beautiful friendships and relationships. This time, I found myself strangely at home in an island that’s located 10,500 miles away - Nassau.
Derek's film took me to Nassau for the first time in Jan 2016 and we filmed some B-roll and also screened our first Roughcut. Later in December, Derek returned for the film's World Premiere at the prestigious 13th Annual Bahamas International Film Festival that took place on December 5-11, 2016.
Derek's film took me to Nassau for the first time in Jan 2016 and we filmed some B-roll and also screened our first Roughcut. Later in December, Derek returned for the film's World Premiere at the prestigious 13th Annual Bahamas International Film Festival that took place on December 5-11, 2016.
The World Premiere of BTTWS at the 13th Annual Bahamas International Film Festival 2016
Later in December, Derek returned for the film's World Premiere at the prestigious 13th Annual Bahamas International Film Festival that took place on December 5-11, 2016.
Before The Trees Was Strange - Speaking/Engagement program at the University of The Bahamas, Jan 2017
Director of "Before the Trees Was Strange" documentary film, Derek Burrows in conversation with students from University of The Bahamas.
In January 2017 I presented my film at the University of The Bahamas to four classes to engage them in a discussion about race. This is not something that happens often in my country, we don't talk about race as a general rule so opening up this discussion was important to me. Here is a short video my fearless editor Indrani Kopal and I created from two of the class visits. My film "Before the Trees Was Strange" will continue to be used to open up the discussion on race and to encourage people to talk about this topic, to think of what encounters they have in their lives, with their friends and family and people around them. Every time I present this film people say to me, "we need this discussion especially now." I agree. Let's keep talking. - Derek Burrows
Here and there in Nassau, The Bahamas (2016/17)
Boston, MA - Final Post Production of BTTWS and screenings 2016
2015-2016: Post Production of Before the Trees Was Strange
April 2017: The Screening and Q&A
On April 18th 2017, we had a of Before the Trees Was Strange at Suffolk University, Boston, MA as a part of the Mayor's city wide dialogue on Race. And on May 6, we screened at the Harlem International Film Festival 2017.