A local film-maker has taken a humorous look at one of the great tragedies in Jamaican history.
The comedy is based on the September 1, 1957 Kendal train crash in Manchester that left nearly 200 persons dead and over 700 injured. It stars Christopher Hutchinson and Sheldon Shepherd.
Kirk Wright, who was involved in Parish Bull's production, says the film revives an incident which is unknown to many Jamaicans.
"A lot of times our stories are not told and we are losing that part of our heritage especially with the advent of the cable technology," said Wright.
The Kendal accident is steeped in Jamaican lore. There were 1,600 passengers aboard the 12-car train which left the Kingston Railway Station for Montego Bay.
According to reports, a congregation from the Holy Name Society of St Anne's Roman Catholic Church, as well as "100 known criminals, hooligans and pickpockets" were among the passengers.
Close to midnight on the return leg, the train derailed in the town of Kendal. The aftermath was a gruesome scene, with bodies strewn across the crash site.
Investigations showed that the accidental closure of an angled wheel (brake) cock which had been incorrectly placed, caused the accident.
Film-maker Tom Saulter, founder of New Caribbean Cinema, said Parish Bull is one of seven short films that comprised the feature called Ring The Alarm.
"All the films were made by New Caribbean Cinema which is a collective of people. When we don't have money we have a lot of members and unity is strength," said Saulter.
Tingling, who hails from Manchester, says he grew up hearing stories about the Kendal disaster. Parish Bull is his first film.
— Basil Walters
Parish Bull, directed by Michael 'Ras Tingle' Tingling, was one of the Jamaican short films featured at the recent Kingston Book Festival, held at Redbones Blues Café in New Kingston.
Michael ‘Ras Tingle’ Tingling
   Michael ‘Ras Tingle’ Tingling #slideshowtoggler, #slideshowtoggler a, #slideshowtoggler img {filter:none !important;zoom:normal !important}  1/1  |
Kirk Wright, who was involved in Parish Bull's production, says the film revives an incident which is unknown to many Jamaicans.
"A lot of times our stories are not told and we are losing that part of our heritage especially with the advent of the cable technology," said Wright.
The Kendal accident is steeped in Jamaican lore. There were 1,600 passengers aboard the 12-car train which left the Kingston Railway Station for Montego Bay.
According to reports, a congregation from the Holy Name Society of St Anne's Roman Catholic Church, as well as "100 known criminals, hooligans and pickpockets" were among the passengers.
Close to midnight on the return leg, the train derailed in the town of Kendal. The aftermath was a gruesome scene, with bodies strewn across the crash site.
Investigations showed that the accidental closure of an angled wheel (brake) cock which had been incorrectly placed, caused the accident.
Film-maker Tom Saulter, founder of New Caribbean Cinema, said Parish Bull is one of seven short films that comprised the feature called Ring The Alarm.
"All the films were made by New Caribbean Cinema which is a collective of people. When we don't have money we have a lot of members and unity is strength," said Saulter.
Tingling, who hails from Manchester, says he grew up hearing stories about the Kendal disaster. Parish Bull is his first film.
— Basil Walters