The Cathedral has its Chicago premiere at the 5^th African Diaspora Film Festival on Sunday, June 24^th, 2007 at Facets Cinematheque, 1517 W. Fullerton. For further information call 773-281-9075 or visit the website at www.facets.org. This film is in Mauritian Creole with English subtitles. 

On the island of Mauritius, off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, Lina (Ingrid Blackburn), a beautiful young woman looks to find her way in life. She lives at home with her parents in Port-Louis, the capital of Mauritius. The story focuses on how religion, family, friends and strangers help her identity.   

Lina’s father is a cobbler, working from his home, who sees his business fading away because of cheap, high fashion though disposable shoes. He is frustrated with Lina because she seems to spend her time doing absolutely nothing but looking beautiful when she’s not helping her bedridden mother. 

While idling about town, Lina encounters many things that use shoes as a metaphor for life: style and usefulness, for starters. She also meets a photographer who wants her to become a professional model. 

Using the focus of the town’s Cathedral as its central point, Lina almost unconsciously floats into a state of spiritual awakening that changes her from the inside out. Many people make that change because of a dramatic event on the outside. While showing how an individual can quietly grow, the film asks us to look at the country of Mauritius and ask if the distribution of wealth is central to a lowering of conflict in Africa and elsewhere around the world. And Lina serves as a metaphor for more beauty in this world. 

Interesting Facts: The Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the coast of Africa about 560 miles east of Madagascar. Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. Annual growth has been over 5% and the country has seen improved life expectancy, lowered infant mortality and a far improved infrastructure.

Estimated at $16.28 billion for 2005, Mauritius has the 2nd highest GDP per capita in Africa. Mauritius has a mature economy with a great deal of wealth distribution among its citizens which consists of sugarcane plantations, tourism, textiles, and services. The population is approximately 1.2 million.