Wanted to write about this movie for a while now, but needed to be in the right "head space", because it's based on a book of one of my favorite Surinamese writers: Mrs. Cynthia McLeod. Mrs. McLeod used to be a teacher and when her husband was appointed to serve in Belgium, she spend a lot of time in the archives and started writing stories of times gone by. Some of her books are based on real people and events in Suriname's history and some are (historical) fiction.
This movie is loosely based on one of McLeod's books in the category fiction (historical romance), which is Hoe duur was de Suiker? (translate: The Cost of Sugar) and was released in 2013. Most of the actors were Dutch as it was a Dutch film project, but some Surinamers got the chance to play (minor) roles in the movie. What makes this movie important - especially for Surinamers - is that most students grew up reading this story and because it chronicles some events of Suriname's history (slave revolts) and gives a glimpse into what life was like on plantations in 18th century Suriname. Most scenes were filmed in South Africa, because it has buildings and plantation estates in tact, that resembled those in Suriname at the time.
And now the fun part: the storyline. The movie follows two sisters - different from the books - who shared one father, but not the same background and standing in life, because of their mother's place in the hierarchy at the time. One was white, privileged and entitled (Sarith) and the other (Mini Mini) born from an enslaved mother became her sister's keeper, when she got appointed to become Sariths lady's maid. Mini Mini - who narrated the story - was loyal, tended to every need of Sarith and loved her (half)sister, even though she didn't always understand Sariths tantrums or life choices. In telling the story, Mini Mini tries to chronicle events in Suriname at the time and what effects those had on Sarith and how she handled those. Did they change Sariths attitude or did she go about like she always had despite everything?
