Trinidad and Tobago expresses grief on passing of Horace Shango Ové

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: The twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago recently lost one of the pioneer filmmaker, photographer and writer Horace Shango Ové. Many organisations expressed grief and condolence towards the family, friends and loved ones.

In this regards, the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago also extended condolences to the family and friends of the pioneering Trinidadian filmmaker, photographer and writer Sir Horace Shango Ové.

Further, it recalled the accomplishment of the veteran and stated that one year ago, he made history when he was knighted during the UK New Year Honours for his contributions to British cinema and media.

As per the update, in response to receiving this recognition, Sir Ové said, “chronicling the lives, battles, art and culture of the African and Caribbean diaspora in Britain and around the world has been a lifelong journey and passion. This award is a testament to how far we have come and, in many respects, how far we still have to go.”

Ové was born in Belmont on December 3rd, 1936, to a multi-cultural family of African, Indian, French and Spanish heritages. He migrated to the UK in 1960 to study but instead travelled to Rome, where he had his first experience in filmmaking, working as an extra in the 1963 movie “Cleopatra” which starred Elizabeth Taylor. Inspired by this, he returned to England and attended the London Film School.

As per the update by the National Archives, he began his film career by directing short films and documentaries on West Indian immigrant life in Britain. His first documentary film, “Reggae” (1970), was shown on British television as the first in-depth film on reggae, followed by “King Carnival” (1973). In 1976, he directed his most popular film, “Pressure”, which was co-written by fellow Trinidadian author Sam Selvon. It was the first Black feature-length drama that highlighted the experiences of the Windrush generation in London, earning Ové a Guinness World Record. The film was initially banned because of its depiction of police brutality but was eventually released to wide acclaim.

Ové was the recipient of a number of awards, including the Hummingbird Medal from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the title of Best Director in 1986 from the British Film Institute. In 2012, the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (TTFF) honoured him as a Film Pioneer, and in 2013, he was named a National Icon by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.

In conclusion, the organisation shared a photo showing Sir Horace Ové with courtesy of the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. This newspaper is part of the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago Newspaper Collection.