THE hot-button issue of deportation takes centre stage in the gritty drama Home Again, which had its Jamaican premiere at The Carib Cinemas in Cross Roads Monday evening.

The film, directed and co-written by Canadian Sudz Sutherland, is set in a Kingston ghetto but was shot in Trinidad and Tobago. It had its debut in the twin-island republic in March.

Jamaica-born Canadian co-producer Jennifer Holness said her aim was to tell the story of displacement from a Caribbean perspective.

“I hope to genuinely shine some light on an international problem. I would hope patrons focus on the message and quality of the movie,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

She said the movie will begin its United Kingdom run next month.

The plot follows three characters born in Jamaica — Marva Johnson (Tatyana Ali, who has Trinidadian roots), Dunston Williams (Jamaican-born Canadian Lyriq Bent), and Stephan James (Everton St Clair) — who are deported ‘home’ from Canada, the United States, and England, respectively.

Guyanese-born actress CCH Pounder and Canadian singer FeFe Dobson, Kadeem Wilson (Ghett’A Life) — who is convincing in his role as a cold-blooded don — and Paul Campbell (Third World Cop, Dance Hall Queen) who plays perverted Uncle Archie Morris, adds another dimension to the plot.

The movie chronicles a tale of the helplessness, hopelessness, and resolve each character shows

in the face of insurmountable challenges.

It gives the audience a vivid look at the prejudice and stereotypes deportees face.

While some viewers may be critical of actors’ Jamaican accent, the film-makers must be commended for accurately capturing the harsh realities of inner-city life.

In Home Again, the producers made good on their promise to highlight the plight of deportees. It opens in cinemas today.

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