In a milestone second for Caribbean storytelling and Dementia consciousness, Rianna Patterson’s deeply transferring documentary, Dementia: The Island Journey, has been honoured with two prestigious awards on the 2025 FilmFest World Impartial Cinema Awards held within the UK.
The movie clinched each the ‘Distinctive Showcase Award’ and the ‘New Filmmaking Expertise Award’, cementing Patterson’s voice as one to look at in international impartial cinema .
The documentary is an intimate and nuanced exploration of Dementia throughout Caribbean societies. By means of the eyes of people, households, and caregivers, Patterson illuminates how cultural traditions and neighborhood bonds form the expertise of dwelling with Dementia. It’s a meditation on household, id, and collective resilience that resonates with each regional and diasporic audiences.
I spoke to Rianna about her epic win, and shared her pleasure and pleasure at being recognised for such essential work;
“I really feel really blessed to have created a documentary that amplifies the voices of the Dementia neighborhood and to showcase Dominica by extension, on a world stage.
The journey of creating this movie, like every significant journey, was removed from simple. In the event you’ve ever heard your grandparents’ tales about crossing rivers and climbing mountains simply to get to high school — that’s the sort of path this challenge took.”
Rianna additionally spoke in regards to the obstacles she confronted acquiring funding for her challenge, it’s a steady situation for Black fillmakers, particularly those that bravely select to make artwork about subjects that are largely ignored by the broader artistic trade.
“It took two years to finish, largely as a result of I needed to fundraise extensively to make the manufacturing potential. The COVID-19 pandemic additionally precipitated delays, as security and distancing laws made filming notably difficult. Defending the workforce was a high precedence.
Regardless of our greatest efforts, we didn’t increase as a lot funding as I had initially hoped. This meant pivoting and reimagining the route of the movie to align with the assets obtainable. By God’s grace, all of it got here collectively.
I additionally personally financed a number of movie competition submissions to assist increase the movie’s visibility. As my first feature-length documentary, reaching this level has been nothing wanting heartwarming.”
The movie continues to be obtainable to buy on https://buymeacoffee.com/dementiaisledoc
IG @Riannapatterson_ @dementiaisledoc