Shouters and the 'Control Freak Empire' A Century Beyond Prohibition

Shouters and the ‘control freak’ Empire questions power and social control through exposing the central conflict between Euro-centric and Afro-centric religions. Through the emergence and Prohibition of the Shouter Baptist religion in Trinidad & Tobago, this 28-minute documentary reveals how power, disguised as Prohibition laws instituted by the colonial government, attempted to legislate against a belief system. Yet despite prosecution, the letter of the law could not legislate against the spirit of the Shouters.

Using a historical framework, this documentary provides a record of the Prohibition period from 1917 - 1951 when Shouter Baptists suffered persecution. It reveals that conflicts abounded then in that most unhappy marriage between the sacred and the secular, between religion and law, between victimless crimes and criminals. By tracing the causes of these conflicts and exploring the effects of Prohibition both on members of the faith and on the general public, this film intertwines Christianity with African cultural practices, it juxtaposes Euro-centricism with Afro-centricism and it restores a voice to the voiceless in a film that is compellingly visual and profoundly enlightening.