Social Impact
From the beginning, we made a decision that the people holding the traditions this project portrays would have a voice in shaping it. Not as extras. Not as consultants brought in at the end. As collaborators. This is our story, our culture made by our people, Bermudian. – Stephan Johnstone
The Six Gombey Troupes
Six of Bermuda’s nine active Gombey troupes participated in the short film. Their captains and elders were consulted throughout production. Drafts of the film were shared with them, feedback was given, and aspects of the film were changed as a direct result of those conversations. What you see on screen reflects not just the creative team’s vision but the living knowledge of the people who carry this tradition.
Our People
The Gombey Mom
Terry, The Gombey Mom, has had her sons in the Gombeys since he was five years old. She plays the mother in Thoughts Become Things, not as an actress stepping into a role, but as herself. A real Gombey mother, preparing her real son, speaking from a place no script could manufacture. The line between the film and the living culture dissolves completely in her presence.
The Native American Ancestor
The Native American community has been in Bermuda since the 17th century and the two people representing Native American ancestors in the film are from that community. They were cast not for performance but for truth. They represent their people because they are their people.
The African Ancestors
BDA Donquili is a real African dance group rooted right here in Bermuda, with deep ties to the continent, travelling to Africa regularly and teaching African dance on the island. When the film needed to represent African ancestral presence, the team went to the people who actually carry that lineage. The performers you see are not playing a role. They are the role.
The Creative Team
Writer Stephan Johnstone, Director and Cinematographer Marq Rodriguez, and Composer Derek G. Simmons are all Bermudian. The photographer, set designer, and most of the production team are from the island. The soundtrack was recorded locally. The subtitle translations were handled by community members across five languages, with one new relationship formed specifically for the Japanese translation, extending the project’s reach to a language and culture it had never touched before.
Subtitle Languages
From the beginning, Thoughts Become Things was created with the intention of sharing Bermudian culture as widely and thoughtfully as possible. Some translations were prepared to help the film reach international festivals and audiences abroad, while others were created simply to ensure the story could be shared with specific communities closer to home. Together, these subtitles extend the film’s themes of ancestry, identity, and the power of thought allowing our culture to be felt across languages and borders.
Click on a language above to read and learn more.
Film Review
“What haunts me is knowing how easily an entire record of history can disappear. How quickly it can vanish in the blink of an elder’s passing. And that fear births spiritual urgency. It tells me in between breaths that the work must continue, and that the fire can’t go out, and that their lives cannot be in vain. So, when I witness this film, this team, and what it carries, even when left unspoken, I see a group of artists reclaiming a language….” – Dejon Simmons
Awards
Project Stats
25
Festival Selections
12
Countries
7
Gombey Troupes
Short Film + Mini Doc
Financial Impact
From the very beginning every dollar raised went back into the community that made it possible. Six active Gombey troupes, cultural groups and organizations, Bermudian filmmakers, musicians, photographers, set designers, writers and translators. Every creative decision was made by someone from this island and of the $36,303 spent on this project, nearly 80% went directly back into Bermuda.
$17,805
Paid to Bermudian artists
$4,959
Paid to local Businesses
$3,800
Paid to active Gombeys
$2,200
Paid to Cultural Organizations
Only $7,538 of the entire project budget left the island, covering international festival submissions, travel, and marketing outreach that brought Bermudian culture to 11 countries, and 22 film festivals around the world.
Bermudian culture. Paid for by Bermuda. Seen by the world.