Local Filmmaker Explores Challenges of Development in ‘Green’

Imagine a small Caribbean island known for its natural beauty and rich cultural legacy. Then imagine a developer comes to this island offering to build an enormous yacht marina; it will bring in millions of dollars in investments, but it will likely destroy the tranquillity which is the very heart of the island’s attractiveness.

This is the premise of the film “Green,” screened for the public at Bajo El Sol Gallery in Cruz Bay last Saturday night. Written, directed, and produced by Eric Zucker, the film presents a “what if” scenario that reflects development issues that are playing out in real time on the island of St. John. “My hope is that the film is seen not as just a fable, but as ‘faction,’ a blend of fact and fiction that seems familiar and creates a perspective that allows us to see ourselves,” said Zucker. Some of the situations and characters are surprisingly real.

Zucker, who was born on St. Thomas, has been a successful commercial filmmaker in the Virgin Islands for more than 40 years. He decided to frame this tale as a narrative rather than a documentary. “Documentaries can be seen as lecturing,” he said. For this film, he wants viewers to become engaged with the characters and feel the personal, cultural and political pressures they face.