Based on her lauded short film of the same name, Trinidadian filmmaker Maya Cozier is gearing up to hit the big screen with her feature directorial debut, She Paradise. The film is also written by Cozier, with the help of Melina Brown, who was also a co-writer on the short film.
She Paradise takes a dive into the glittering, energetic world of Soca dancers in Trinidad. When the protagonist, Sparkle (Onessa Nestor), pushes her way into a competitive, free-spirited dance crew, she comes to realize that the scene might be a little more than she can handle.
Paste can exclusively debut the film’s first trailer here:
In just a couple minutes, the trailer pulls us into an enticing, glamorous, high-stakes world, with exhilarating dance numbers and tense conflict between Sparkle and her father with regards to her dancing. Also in the cast are Kimberly Crichton, Chelsey Rampersad, Danisia Latchman, Kern Mollineau and Michael Cherrie.
She Paradise hits theaters, on demand and digital on November 19.