The Maroon communities of Suriname are the direct descendants of the African slaves who escaped from the plantations under Dutch rule and created a new life for themselves in the tropical forest. For generations, they passed on stories about the original tragedy of colonialist slavery and the wisdom their ancestors used to adapt to their new land. In a unique collaborative approach, the directors of Stones Have Laws were guided by the members of the local communities, in their documentation of Maroon history. Poetry, storytelling and landscape documentary are skillfully interwoven to convey the Maroons' circular understanding of history and the rich animist culture that governs their relationship to the environment. The film further details how this ecosystem, and a whole way of life, are threatened by mining and deforestation. Stones Have Laws is an absolutely immersive documentary made to be experienced on the big screen. Watch the trailer.

Directed by Lonnie Van Brummelen, Siebren De Haan, Tolin Alexander i.c.w. Maroon communities of Suriname, 2018, Suriname/Netherlands, 100 min. In Saamaka, Okanisi, Dutch w/ English subtitles.

€5 entry