09/03/2026
CERLAC Presents:
Official Screening of After Melissa - Survival is only the beginning.
A Documentary Film by Kaneal Gayle
Thursday, September 10, 2026
2:30 – 4:30
280N York Lanes
York University | Keele Campus
In the immediate aftermath of a devastating hurricane, communities across Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, Trelawny, and St. James in Jamaica were thrust into a fragile reality where survival, grief, and resilience unfolded side by side.
This documentary chronicles the first two weeks after the storm, capturing the raw, unfiltered experiences of families and individuals as they grappled with trauma, loss, and uncertainty while still finding the strength to endure each day.
Through intimate, ground-level storytelling, the film follows hurricane survivors as they navigate damaged homes, disrupted livelihoods, and limited access to basic services. Mothers caring for children in overcrowded shelters, elderly residents confronting isolation, and workers attempting to rebuild small businesses; reveal how recovery is not only physical, but deeply emotional and psychological.
Set against the backdrop of Jamaica’s rugged landscapes and resilient spirit, the documentary explores how trauma manifests in the days immediately following disaster, and how hope begins to take root even amid despair. By focusing on lived experiences rather than statistics, the film offers a human portrait of recovery, which underscores the urgency of compassionate, people-centered disaster response, and honors the strength of those striving to survive, heal, and rebuild their lives, one day at a time.
About the Director
Kaneal Gayle is a Jamaican communications consultant, journalist and documentary filmmaker.
With a career in journalism and production that began in 2008, Kaneal has built a reputation for human-centered storytelling that blends strong editorial instincts with cinematic craft thus creating content that informs, moves audiences, and supports meaningful social change.
As a filmmaker, Kaneal is recognized for compelling, socially relevant documentary storytelling. He directed the award-winning documentary Battlelines: Javed Jaghai v The State, winner of the Press Association of Jamaica’s Special Award for Outstanding Television (2014). His work has screened internationally, including two documentaries that premiered at the CaribbeanTales Film Festival in Toronto: Rainbow Revolution (2016), which documents Jamaica’s inaugural Pride events, and Dancehall’s Asian Ambassadors (2018), a film exploring Japanese women who moved to Jamaica driven by their love for dancehall culture. Dancehall’s Asian Ambassadors also screened at multiple festivals in the United States and the wider Caribbean and Europe, extending the film’s reach to diverse global audiences.
Kaneal’s journey into filmmaking was a natural evolution of his journalistic mission. After years of chasing daily headlines, he recognized that the limitations of short news formats often restricted the depth and nuance required to tell complex human stories. That realization pushed him toward long-form features that could explore root causes, elevate underrepresented voices, and create space for dignity, context, and truth. Over time, those deeper features became documentaries and projects defined by careful listening, strong character development, and a commitment to impact.
This event is being co-sponsored by The Harriet Tubman Institute - York University
