‘Opening the lid of a horrible secret’: Jamaicans confront enslavement with taboo-busting stories on screen
Jamaican filmmakers are increasingly using supernatural themes to confront the country's history of enslavement and colonial trauma. This shift in storytelling is being viewed by observers as a form of cultural reclamation and a way to address previously taboo historical subjects.
Why it matters
The trend reflects a broader global movement in the arts to use narrative media to process historical trauma and advocate for social justice and reparations.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars in Sky’s supernatural series Possession set in Jamaica. Photograph: Des Willie Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars in Sky’s supernatural series Possession set in Jamaica. Photograph: Des Willie Cotton Capital: ongoing series Jamaica ‘Opening the lid of a horrible secret’: Jamaicans confront enslavement with taboo-busting stories on screen As violent spirits are unleashed in Sky’s Possession, observers see confident creatives reclaiming the island’s narratives in a form of ‘cultural reparation’
Natricia Duncan Caribbean correspondent Fri 16 Oct 2026 11.00 BST Share A woman opens a 300‑year‑old box, unleashing a violent spirit – it is the spirit of colonialism and oppression roaring back to life. It is a pivotal scene in Sky’s supernatural series Possession and symbolises a wider shift in Jamaica’s film industry, where directors are increasingly using the landscape to tell Jamaican stories – including those that confront enslavement, trauma and historical memory.
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