St. George’s, Grenada – Paradise Discovered: The Unbreakable Virgin Islanders 2.0 took home top honors for best feature documentary at the fifth annual 12°N, 61°W Grenada Film Festival (1261 Film Festival). Unbreakable won amid the competitive field of films presented at the festival, including stories from Jamaica, Guadeloupe, USA, Dominica, Trinidad, Guyana, St. Vincent, Grenada, and the U.K.
“Congratulations to Peter Bailey and his team for winning best documentary film with Paradise Discovered, a poignant reminder of the importance of sharing Caribbean stories worldwide,” said 1261 Film Festival founder Meschida Philip. “Their exploration of cultural nuances fosters understanding among diverse audiences. We celebrate their achievement and value their contribution to our festival and Caribbean cinema.”
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Developed from Bailey’s New York Times Op-Ed, “Has America Forgotten the Virgin Islands,” the groundbreaking Paradise Discovered series chronicles the survival and rebuilding efforts of the people of the USVI in the aftermath of the devastating Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
The series also highlights the impact of climate change on the culture and people of the USVI.
It’s a story that deeply resonated with attendees of this year’s 1261 Film Festival.
“I’m honored to continue this journey to share the inspiring story of USVI resilience, which is the collective Caribbean story,” says Bailey, a St.Thomas native. “Caribbean people are craving to see our stories cinematically in our authentic voice, and Grenada’s 1261 Film Festival is helping in this unprecedented movement.”
After experiencing both storms firsthand, Bailey famously wrote the Times’ piece while building a makeshift roof after the storms ravaged his family’s home. He made international headlines for criticizing the U.S. government’s handling of the island’s recovery and calling out neglect from mainstream media in its coverage.
The Unbreakable Virgin Islanders 2.0 is the sequel to Paradise Discovered: The Unbreakable Virgin Islanders, which won best feature documentary at Toronto’s Caribbean Tales International Film Festival in 2019 and is now streaming on Apple T.V., Tubi, and other outlets after debuting as one of the top 200 documentaries on iTunes in 2021.
