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Let Each One Go Where He May

Name: Let Each One Go Where He May
Director: Ben Russell
Released: 2009
Duration: 135 min

Representation Score

6.4/10

Good

2009

Not Rated

Director

Ben Russell

Runtime

135 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Ben Russell’s film is a significant work of decolonial cinema that centers the ability to act of underrepresented ethnic groups. By retracing a historical route of escape from Dutch slavery, the narrative disrupts Eurocentric histories in favor of a cyclical, experiential understanding of survival. The film excels in racial and cultural representation, moving beyond simple inclusion to make the struggle against systemic oppression the foundation of its journey. It elevates the history of the Suriname river populations through a non-Western lens. However, the film's focus remains narrow in terms of gender and identity. The journey is primarily a masculine-coded experience, and there is no evidence of LGBTQ+ representation or disability inclusion within the current narrative scope.

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Category Breakdown

Does Let Each One Go Where He May have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on the ancestral journey of two brothers. There is no explicit evidence of LGBTQ+ characters or identities that go beyond the assumption that everyone is straight.

How does Let Each One Go Where He May portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on a masculine-coded journey between two brothers. While the Maroon village context suggests a broader community, the main drivers are male characters.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Let Each One Go Where He May?

Excellent

The film provides exceptional representation by centering the African diaspora and the Maroon community. It prioritizes non-Western perspectives and the ability to act of people of color.

How does Let Each One Go Where He May represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative offers a deep engagement with ancestral traditions and a critique of Dutch colonial structures. It explores the complexities of forced migration and systemic oppression.

Does Let Each One Go Where He May include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no mention of characters with visible or invisible disabilities in the provided narrative details.

Present on Screen

Exceptional centering of the African diaspora and Maroon community ability to act.
Strong critique of colonial structures and Dutch imperial history.
Prioritizes non-Western historical perspectives and ancestral traditions.

Limited or Absent

Limited gender diversity, as the narrative focuses on a masculine-coded journey.
Lack of visible representation for LGBTQ+ identities or characters.
No evidence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

The film traces the extensive journey of two unidentified brothers who venture from the outskirts of Paramaribo, Suriname, on land and through rapids, past a Maroon village on the Upper Suriname River, in a rehearsal of the voyage undertaken by their ancestors, who escaped from slavery at the hands of the Dutch 300 years prior. A path still traveled to this day, its changing topography bespeaks a diverse history of forced migration.

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