SOLOMON DASKO

category: diaspora, guyana, narratives, short films

SOLOMON DASKO

A homeless blues singer holds on to his dream of becoming a famous while battling heroin addiction. "SOLOMON DASKO," is based on a character from French Onion Soup, a feature screenplay also written by Eulonda Kay Lea.

directed by YAPHET JACKMAN
I'm a Brooklyn born, Guyanese bred cinematographer/director based in New York. I earned a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from the University of Guyana and later completed my Master's in Fine Art - Film at Ohio University. My dream is to continue to create and collaborate on developing, directing and producing narratives across cultures and communities both locally and internationally.

Due to my Guyanese roots, my mission is to use film and new media as a means to preserve Caribbean heritage, culture and historical content as well as to bring Caribbean stories to main stream distribution.

Director Statement
Solomon Dasko was birthed from a feature film in development - French Onion Soup. Reading the Solomon character resonated with me in a very powerful way. We all know someone that struggles with addiction, and we all wished that there was someway to truly help that person, but it's really a full time job.

The importance of telling such a story is to remind people that while old habits may die hard, second chances are deserved by everyone. The only way people succeed with that second chance is if they are given the right incentives and atmosphere to break the cycle - in the case of Solomon, his cycle is drug addiction.

I sincerely believed that my voice and vision in this film lends to the ongoing conversation of social issues. It speaks to a system that has been rigged and a social consciousness that has forgotten that these people each come from among us. Anyone of us could be Solomon Dasko, and if I were in his situation, I'd really want someone to give me a chance, a fair chance. My hope is that you would feel the same way too.

USA/GUYANA || 2016 || 11 MINS