Mas Man If Trinidad and Tobago were one big Carnival production, mas man, Peter Minshall (b. 1941), would be King of the Band. Mas Man is an intimate portrayal of Minshall’s life in art—specifically his counteraction of the conformity and conservatism of Carnival in the 1970s. After studying at the Central School of Art in London, Minshall returned home and began reinventing “mas” as a tool to enlighten spectators about the complexities of life—a bold move that, in time, influenced global awareness of Carnival, Trinidad and Tobago’s principal cultural export. Similar to a large-scale costume, this documentary is comprised of multiple threads, including Minshall’s 26-year “masography”; his design and stage acumen (documented in the 2006 presentation “The Sacred Heart”); and his contribution to the artistic direction of the opening ceremonies for three Olympic Games. Here, we see the ways in which his set pieces of protest and entertainment provoke parallel emotions in major North American, European, and Asian cities. All of these textures create a story line that captures Minshall’s muse, his flair for costumery, as well as the enigma of a mercurial man whose main job seems to be playing evil against good amid Bacchanalia. view all films | view all directors |
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