Diamond Rock, a 176-meter-high volcanic islet off the coast of Diamant, Martinique, was registered on February 3, 1804, as a small warship of the Royal Navy under the name HMS Diamond Rock. A French division commanded by Captain Julien Cosmao recaptured it on June 2, 1805. More than two centuries later, landing there is prohibited.
About 1,800 meters off the coast of the town of Le Diamant, in southern Martinique, lies a small islet that the British Navy occupied beginning in 1804. In January, Commodore Samuel Hood decided to turn it into a fortified position. Lieutenant James Wilkes Maurice landed there with a detachment from the HMS Centaur. Just a few weeks later, the Royal Navy added the islet to its list of vessels.
The Rocher du Diamant, 176 meters high, facing the Diamant
The Rocher du Diamant rises to a height of 176 meters and has a diameter of approximately 300 meters. This islet is a massive dome of dacite, a volcanic rock, formed about 0.97 million years ago, according to geologists’ measurements. In 1804, this landmark became a strategic military position. The British Navy occupied it and, from this outpost, controlled the Passage des Fours.
January 1804: The Royal Navy fortified the islet
In January 1804, the HMS Centaur, a 74-gun ship commanded by Commodore Samuel Hood, anchored at the foot of the rock. First Lieutenant James Wilkes Maurice went ashore with sailors and marines. He and his men were tasked with fortifying an uninhabited islet that was difficult to climb. The cannons were first brought in by sea. A cable stretched from the mainmast of the HMS Centaur was used to hoist them up the cliff face. Five guns were initially installed—three 24-pounders and two 18-pounders—from the water’s edge to the summit.
On February 3, 1804, the islet was registered as a small warship of the Royal Navy under the name HMS Diamond Rock. James Wilkes Maurice was placed in command, with a garrison of about 120 men.
May 31–June 2, 1805: The recapture by Julien Cosmao’s division
In mid-May 1805, Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve arrived in Fort-de-France with a Franco-Spanish fleet. One division was tasked with recapturing the rock. It was placed under the command of Captain Julien Cosmao, who commanded the ship Pluton. The division also included the ship Berwick, the frigate Sirène, and French and Spanish vessels. The ships Pluton and Berwick each carried 74 guns. The division set sail on May 29, 1805.
The attack began on May 31, 1805. The ships’ cannons destroyed the islet’s lower batteries, then the troops landed, while James Wilkes Maurice withdrew his men to the upper levels. Running low on water and ammunition, James Wilkes Maurice surrendered on June 2, 1805, with 107 men. The garrison left the islet on June 3 with the honors of war. On the British side, losses were limited to two dead and one wounded. James Wilkes Maurice was tried by a court-martial in Barbados and acquitted.
Today, the Rocher du Diamant is closed to visitors
Since the biotope protection order of March 1, 1994, access to the rock from the shore has been prohibited. The islet is part of a designated protected area, established by decree on April 4, 2001, which covers approximately 1,429 hectares between the municipalities of Anses-d’Arlet and Le Diamant, both on land and at sea. The rock has belonged to the Conservatoire du littoral since 1994. Thirteen bird species were observed there in 2004, including the brown noddy, the bridled tern, the white-rumped tropicbird, the brown booby, and the magnificent frigatebird.
What the Rocher du Diamant Brings to Martinique
The Rocher du Diamant gives its name to the town of Le Diamant and remains a landmark visible from the southern part of Martinique. It still bears traces of a military conflict that took place off the island’s coast in 1804 and 1805. It also serves as a refuge for seabirds, located within a 1,429-hectare protected area. Its value lies in this threefold heritage—geological, historical, and natural—which we preserve by no longer visiting it.
More than two centuries after it was commissioned as a small Royal Navy warship, no one boards it anymore. One question remains for those who gaze at it from the Diamant coast: What story does a rock—one that can no longer be touched—tell in Martinique?
Frequently Asked Questions About the Diamond Rock
Off the coast of the town of Le Diamant, in southern Martinique, about 1,800 meters from the shore. It rises to a height of 176 meters.
The Royal Navy commissioned it in January 1804 and registered it as a sloop on February 3, 1804, under the name HMS Diamond Rock. Julien Cosmao’s division captured it on June 2, 1805.
No. Access to the shore has been prohibited since the biotope protection order of March 1, 1994.
From 1 November 2026, Martinican chef Louis-Philippe Vigilant will introduce new dishes in Air France’s Business cabin on departures from the French Caribbean and French Guiana. Presented in Fort-de-France on 28 October, the collaboration also tells a story of family, passing on culinary knowledge and staying true to the flavours of childhood.
“I hope my mother will travel in Business,” says Louis-Philippe Vigilant. The chef has just been discussing his new creations for Air France. When he speaks about the person he would like to share them with, his thoughts return to the dishes she cooked when he was a child.
Dombrés, the small dough dumplings of Caribbean cooking, feature in those memories. He recalls versions made with cirique and other crabs, then explains how he has reworked them with prawns for the new menu. Fish and shellfish pot-au-feu, piment végétarien — a fragrant, mild Caribbean pepper — and shellfish also draw on the family influences he wants to bring to his recipes.
Originally from Rivière-Pilote in southern Martinique, Louis-Philippe Vigilant is a Martinican chef with two Michelin stars who now heads the kitchens of La Côte d’Or at Relais Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu. His signature dishes for the airline bring together the two places that have shaped his career.
Childhood flavours as a starting point
Asked what inspires his dishes, the chef names familiar ingredients and preparations: giromon squash, christophine (chayote), spices, ginger and piment végétarien. He combines them with techniques learned during his training and career in mainland France.
His cooking makes room for memories while giving them a fresh interpretation. The prawn dombré is one example: he retains a family reference and gives it a new expression, developed for this collaboration.
For him, the menu should also introduce travellers to some of Martinique’s culinary richness. “We have to make them dream,” he explains during the interview. His ambition rests on the pleasure of eating and the curiosity that ingredients, pairings and flavours can awaken.
From Rivière-Pilote to Maison Loiseau
After training at La Colline hospitality school in Montpellier, Louis-Philippe Vigilant joined La Côte d’Or in 2006, working alongside Patrick Bertron. His career then took him to L’Oustau de Baumanière and Le Strato in Courchevel, before he became head chef at Loiseau des Ducs in Dijon, where he earned a Michelin star.
He returned to Saulieu in 2022 as deputy head chef. In September 2023, Patrick Bertron handed him the culinary leadership of La Côte d’Or.
That grounding now informs his work with ingredients, sauces and cooking techniques. Martinique continues to play its part too. At the presentation of his collaboration with Air France, the chef described his involvement as a way of returning to his island, where he also took the opportunity to spend time with his family.
Sharing a culinary wealth still to be explored
Looking beyond his own career, Louis-Philippe Vigilant speaks of the possibilities offered by Martinican produce. He welcomes the initiatives of producers gaining greater recognition and of young chefs developing their own projects on the island.
His new menu provides another opportunity to share these culinary traditions. Some passengers leaving the French Caribbean will recognise familiar flavours; others will discover them during the journey.
The project has taken shape with the teams at Servair and Air France. Several months of work went into developing the recipes and adapting them for airline service, while preserving what the chef wants to convey on the plate.
Where can passengers discover the new menu?
Twelve dishes have been developed and will be introduced progressively. Those announced include fish and shellfish pot-au-feu with Madras curry sauce and ginger-seasoned vegetables, alongside Burgundy-style braised beef cheek served with mashed potatoes flavoured with Cazette hazelnut.
The launch is scheduled for 1 November 2026 in Business on long-haul flights from Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France, Saint-Martin and Cayenne to Paris-Charles de Gaulle, as well as on selected routes within Air France’s regional Caribbean network.
For Louis-Philippe Vigilant, the menu reflects both the demands of his profession and the memories of his childhood. Among the travellers whose reaction he may be looking forward to is his mother, to whom several of these recipes pay a quiet tribute.
Photographs, including the cover image: © Richès Karayib.
Also on LATITUDE 15: Air France: Louis-Philippe Vigilant puts gastronomy at the heart of the passenger experience.
The penultimate episodeof *Stories of Caribbean Cinema* brings us closer to the present. Since the first installment, which focused on the 1960s, eight episodes have explored various regions, generations, and ways of portraying the Caribbean on film.
This ninth installment brings together two very different works. In *Battledream Chronicle*, Alain Bidard transports Martinique into a futuristic world built around a virtual game. In *Buladó*, Eché Janga returns to Curaçao to explore grief, spirits, and the tensions between rationality and magical thinking. You are now on the ninth episode out of ten. The first eight are already available on Richès Karayib. The next installment will conclude this chronology with Haiti and Guadeloupe.
2015: MARTINIQUE – BATTLEDREAM CHRONICLE, BY ALAIN BIDARD
This film is an exception in this chronology: in fact, it is one of only two animated feature films from the Caribbean film industry. A remarkable feat: both were created entirely—both visually and in terms of sound (particularly the voice acting for several characters)—by Alain Bidard of Martinique. *Battledream Chronicle*, heavily influenced by manga aesthetics, is set in a futuristic world in the year 2100, in which real-world nations compete against one another through a virtual game called Battledream.
The losers see their nation (in this film, Martinique is one such nation) completely dominated by the victors, and their collective memory erased. Reduced to slavery, the inhabitants of the conquered nations must regularly bring a certain amount of credits (“1,000 XP”)—just as, in times past, a certain number of bundles of sugarcane had to be cut—to the Inquisitors, on pain of seeing their community wiped out.
As we can see, this film offers numerous references to the history of slavery and colonialism through subtle allusions. Martinique managed to resist within the Battledream , Martinique will be the last nation to stand against the Empire—known as Mortemonde—and will defeat it. Notably, the great final battle will be led by two female protagonists, who at times wear Creole earrings and at other times a headdress made of madras cloth (“ maré-tèt ” in Creole), as quintessential Caribbean women.
They are clearly the center (“ poto-mitan ” in Creole) of the film’s action: the “femifocality” of Caribbean cinema is gaining momentum. As for Alain Bidard’s second film, *Opal* (2021), it tackles the difficult issue of incest with great sensitivity.
Opal, the daughter of the king and queen of a futuristic kingdom, struggles to escape from her castle and is regularly subjected to visits from her father—whose face is dominated by a horn (an obvious phallic extension)—who takes “her magic” from her. Through the imaginative lens of animated film, Alain Bidard tackles the thorny issue of sexual violence against children—and, more specifically, young girls. More than ever before, women are taking the reins in Caribbean cinema.
2020: CURAÇAO – BULADÓ, BY ECHÉ JANGA
Buladó is one of those films that fully embodies the Caribbean cinema’s capacity to surprise. We follow a teenage girl haunted by the premature death of her mother, whom she never knew, caught between her naturally authoritarian father, Ouira, a police officer, and her eccentric grandfather, Weljo, who speaks with spirits, teetering on the brink of madness.
Based on a plot that has been explored before and relatively predictable conflicts, Eché Janga creates a spellbinding film by highlighting the unique features of the landscape on the small Dutch island of Curaçao—which resembles a desert where a Western might be filmed—as well as the high caliber of its cast and the beauty of Papiamento (Papiamentu), a creole language born from the fusion of Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, English, and words of African and Amerindian (Arawak) origin, spoken on various Dutch islands in the Caribbean.
The conflict between the father and the grandfather effectively embodies the everyday duality between European rational thought and magical thinking, of African or Native American origin, which still permeates many Caribbean societies today, where rituals are regularly practiced in a surprising syncretism of beliefs often noted by ethnologists. Young Kenza (played by the remarkable Tiara Richards) goes so far as to tell her father—who, like her, is of mixed race—that he is “desecrating” the bed of her recently deceased dog: “You’re really a white man!”—meaning that he is behaving like a Westerner.
The young girl’s gradual grieving process, as her mother “speaks” to her, is intertwined with the unapologetic irrationality of her grandfather, superbly portrayed by Felix De Rooy, the father of Dutch-language Caribbean cinema. Indeed, he converses with the spirits of the Indigenous peoples who were dispossessed of their lands—spirits whose anger does not seem to have subsided.
Here we find ourselves doubly immersed in a visually rich mysticism where dreams and reality often blur. This film, a superb cinematic reflection on grief, concludes with these words in voice-over: “Death is always there. Those who learn to live with it are as free as the wind.” Buladó was selected by the Netherlands to represent the country at the 2021 Oscars.
About the Author
Guillaume Robillard holds a Ph.D. in film studies; he is a professor and researcher, a documentary filmmaker, and a specialist in Caribbean cinema and artistic production. He is the author of two books: *Conquest of Space and Time: Caribbean Cinema (Éditions Jannink, “Hypothèses d’Art,” 2023) and Decolonial Cinema: Characters in Caribbean Cinema (Presses Universitaires des Antilles, “Arts et Esthétique,” 2024).
"Stories of Caribbean Cinema" series. Season 8/10 is already available on Richès Karayib. Season 10/10 coming soon.
Every October 28, International Creole Day appears on calendars once again. Behind the date lies a story more beautiful than just another annual event. It began on the radio in Saint Lucia in 1983, the day an island decided to speak Kwéyòl on the air.
Radio St. Lucia opens its airwaves to Kwéyòl, the Creole language that St. Lucians speak in their daily lives. The programs flow one after another for hours on end. For two hours, the station broadcasts live from DBS Radio in Dominica, the neighboring island, which is also a Creole-speaking island. Earl Huntley, creator of the show “Radio-a se sanou,” is interviewed. Voices travel from one island to the other over the airwaves. It is the first International Creole Day.
The gesture is by no means insignificant. As early as 1980, during a national consultation in Saint Lucia, Lawrence Carrington observed that the rejection of Creole went far beyond the issue of the media. Going on the air was, in itself, a response.
From the studio to the village
The following year, the festival moved out of the studios. In 1984, it was held in Mon Repos, a small village on the east coast. It opened with a Mass in Kwéyòl, celebrated by Father Patrick Anthony, founder of the Folk Research Centre. Traditional singer Sesenne Descartes was honored. In 1985, the event moved to Fond Assau, in the northeast of the island, with a theme that summed it all up: “Kwéyòl, an lang, an pèp, an mòd lavi.” A language, a people, a way of life.
Starting in 1985, coordination was taken over by the Folk Research Centre. International Creole Day has become a permanent fixture on the Saint Lucian calendar. It has even given rise to an entire month, Mwa Éwitaj Kwéyòl (Creole Heritage Month), which extends the celebration of Jounen Kwéyòl. What began as a radio broadcast has become a village tradition, and then a season-long celebration.
Who established International Creole Day?
Neither a decree nor a large organization. A network of islands, Bannzil Kréyol. Creole-speaking territories that have decided to communicate with one another and act together, including Saint Lucia, one of the founding members. Their idea can be summed up in just a few words. To defend the language, showcase Creole culture, and keep it alive as a language of communication. October 28 became the shared date. International Creole Day then spread to other places. It took root in Haiti, the Seychelles, Mauritius, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Réunion, and then in the diasporas of Paris, London, Montreal, and New York.
One Creole, Many Creoles
There isn’t just one Creole language, but many. The Kwéyòl of Saint Lucia is not spoken the same way as the Creole of Martinique, Haiti, or the Seychelles. They share a history, not a dictionary. In Haiti, Creole has been an official language since 1987. International Creole Day celebrates this entire family of languages, with their distinct accents, words, and sources of pride.
October 28, island by island
The day is celebrated differently in different places. In Saint Lucia, Jounen Kwéyòl is held on the Sunday closest to October 28. This year, it was on the 25th. In Dominica, October is Creole Month, leading up to Independence Day on November 3. In Martinique, the Bannzil Kréyol association and Yves-Marie Séraline’s OMDAC long championed International Creole Day before it expanded into a week, then a month, Creole Month, which has been observed since 2001.
The 17th International Symposium on Creole Studies is also being held there from October 26 to 30. In mainland France, Mois Kréyol is celebrating its tenth edition, from September 22 to December 6. Same date, a thousand ways to experience it, and one thing in common: the language you hear at home, at the market, and on the radio.
After October 28
That leaves the question raised by writer Raphaël Confiant. He fears that the day will devolve into “commemorationism” and that, the very next day, “the defense and promotion of the Creole language will fall by the wayside.” On October 29, who is still writing, teaching, and disseminating in Creole? Perhaps that is the real question raised by International Creole Day.
Frequently Asked Questions
It takes place every year on October 28. It has been held since 1983, when it was launched in Saint Lucia as a radio link between Creole-speaking islands.
It was launched by Bannzil Kréyol, a network of Creole-speaking islands of which Saint Lucia is a founding member. Its goal is to promote the language, showcase Creole culture, and keep it alive as a language of communication.
It is celebrated in Haiti, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Réunion, as well as among the diasporas in Paris, London, Montreal, and New York. In Saint Lucia, it is known as Jounen Kwéyòl and is held on the Sunday closest to October 28.
The flight from Pointe-à-Pitre to Juliana from Air Caraïbes will begin operating on January 8, 2027, with daily flights lasting 50 minutes. This comes after the liquidation of Air Antilles, which had been competing with Air Caraïbes on the route between Saint Martin and Guadeloupe. Fares, schedules, and key considerations—here’s what you need to know before booking. The new route opens up the island’s Dutch airport to travelers from Guadeloupe and Martinique. Air Caraïbes announced it in mid-October during a press conference at the Simpson Bay Resort in Sint Maarten. Karen Virapin, CEO of Air Caraïbes, promised “greater flexibility and more travel options.” The aircraft will be an ATR 72-600.
Pointe-à-Pitre to Juliana Flights: Schedules and Prices
The flight will operate daily, with three schedules during the winter. On Mondays and Thursdays, the flight departs from Pointe-à-Pitre at 10:10 a.m. and arrives at 11:00 a.m. On Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the flight departs at 4:10 p.m. On Wednesdays and Sundays, it departs at 1:35 p.m. The return flight departs from Juliana approximately 30 minutes after arrival.
Tickets have been on sale since October 15. Round-trip fares start at 199 euros from Pointe-à-Pitre and 249 euros from Fort-de-France. This is a Basic fare, which includes one 5-kg carry-on bag but no checked baggage. The ticket is non-refundable but can be changed under certain conditions. Passengers traveling with checked luggage should therefore review the baggage policies before purchasing.
One detail changes how the price is interpreted. Of the 199 euros, 117.96 euros are taxes and fees, or nearly 60 percent. The airline guarantees this lowest price through December 31, 2027, for reservations made no later than 60 days before departure. However, it may be adjusted in the event of increases in fuel costs or taxes. The Flight from Paris-Orly to Juliana has also resumed service since October 15, on Mondays and Thursdays, using an Airbus A350. On other days, passengers must fly via Pointe-à-Pitre. The airline thus highlights that it offers flights to Paris seven days a week.
One island, two airports
Saint Martin is divided between two countries, covering 87 km², of which 53 km² are on the French side and 34 km² on the Dutch side. Juliana is located on the Dutch side. In 2025, Sint Maarten recorded 855,994 air arrivals, compared to 107,165 in Grand-Case on the French side. For residents of Guadeloupe, the Pointe-à-Pitre–Juliana flight therefore opens the door to the main island airport, with connecting flights to the Caribbean and the Americas.
Air Caraïbes assures that this route is in addition to the one to Grand-Case, without reducing the number of flights. The airline estimates that this will add approximately 54,000 additional seats per year between Guadeloupe and Saint Martin. Since this summer, the airline has also been operating nonstop flights from Fort-de-France to Grand-Case, with up to three flights per week during peak demand periods.
Air Antilles: From Restructuring to Liquidation
This project is coming at a time when the landscape has changed. Air Antilles, a public-private partnership in which the Collectivité de Saint-Martin held a 60% stake, had resumed flights in July 2024. On December 9, 2025, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation suspended its air operator’s certificate following an audit, and the aircraft remained grounded. The Pointe-à-Pitre court ordered its liquidation on April 27, 2026. Its 116 employees lost their jobs. Since then, Air Caraïbes has remained the main operator of flights between these islands. The representative Frantz Gumbs had warned that, without competition, prices would rise and some people would stop traveling.
Monopoly or a fragile network?
Air Caraïbes rejects the notion that it is taking advantage of the situation. Paul-Henri Dubreuil, president of the Dubreuil Aéro group, asserts that its prices have not increased. He cites a round-trip flight between Pointe-à-Pitre and Saint Martin priced at 199 euros, of which approximately 112 euros are taxes, leaving about 87 euros for the airline. He criticizes the high tax burden on regional ticket prices. These figures are provided by the airline. It is still too early to say how fares will change by 2027.
Will the Pointe-à-Pitre–Juliana flight offer travelers from Saint Martin a real choice, or will it simply shift traffic from one airport to another? We’ll find out after January 8, when the first passengers board the flight.
Frequently Asked Questions
January 8, 2027. Air Caraïbes will operate this route daily using an ATR 72-600, with a flight time of approximately 50 minutes, and tickets have been on sale since October 15, 2026.
Starting at 199 euros for a round-trip flight from Pointe-à-Pitre and 249 euros from Fort-de-France, on the Basic fare (5 kg of carry-on luggage, no checked baggage, non-refundable ticket). These prices include taxes and fees.
The company was liquidated on April 27, 2026, by the Pointe-à-Pitre court, following the suspension of its air operator’s certificate by the DGAC on December 9, 2025. It employed 116 people.
On October 20, 2026, the Senate passed the bill to repeal the Code Noir without amendment, by a vote of 320 in favor and none against. Parliament has thus completed its review of a bill sponsored by Guadeloupe Representative Max Mathiasin, 341 years after the edict of March 1685. All that remains is for the law to be enacted.
"Code Noir": A Vote with No Opposing Votes in the Senate
On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, senators voted on the bill as adopted by the National Assembly on May 28. The vote resulted in 320 votes in favor, none against, and 18 abstentions, all from the Kanaky Communist, Republican, Citizen, and Ecologist Group. With no amendments, the bill is definitively adopted.
Five amendments put to a public vote, introduced by the Socialist and Communist caucuses, were rejected. The text therefore remains identical to that of the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate Judiciary Committee had finalized its version on October 14, six days before the public session. It must be enacted within a maximum of fifteen days, unless the matter is referred to the Constitutional Council. The Senate rapporteur, Louis Vogel, noted that there was little doubt regarding the implicit repeal of the Code Noir. He nevertheless deemed it justified to include an explicit repeal in the law.
Max Mathiasin: The Origin of a Text from Guadeloupe
It all begins in early May 2025. Max Mathiasin He and his colleague Olivier Serva are gauging the extent of the public reaction to the continued existence of the Code Noir. Jean-Claude Nelson, the ninth vice president of the Guadeloupe region, had brought this issue to the representative’s attention. The two elected officials decided to take action. The bill was introduced in the National Assembly on September 16, 2025, with 130 co-sponsors.
The Law Commission unanimously approved it on May 20, 2026. On May 21—the 25th anniversary of the Taubira Law—the government initiated the fast-track procedure. Members of Parliament adopted it on May 28. Max Mathiasin also served as the rapporteur for the bill before the National Assembly’s Law Commission. For Max Mathiasin, these provisions had remained in “the shadows of our legal system.” He believed the time had come to bring them out of the shadows.
What did the Code Noir of 1685 represent?
The Code Noir is a collection of royal edicts issued between 1685 and 1724. It established the relationship between masters and enslaved people in the French colonies. It also addressed the slave trade. Its founding text dates from March 1685. Its official title says it all: “Edict of the King on the Slaves of the Islands of America.”
Why repeal the Code Noir when slavery has been abolished since 1848?
The Convention abolished slavery for the first time on February 4, 1794. Napoleon reinstated it. A decree dated April 27, 1848, issued at the instigation of Victor Schoelcher, abolished it once and for all. The Code Noir then fell into disuse, without ever having been formally repealed. It is this paradox that our May 2026 article detailed prior to the vote by members of the National Assembly. From a legal standpoint, the Senate’s vote is essentially symbolic, since the Code Noir no longer has any effect. Its significance lies in what the law now affirms.
What the Law Stipulates Beyond Repeal
Article 1 repeals the edict of March 1685 and all provisions adopted for its implementation, adaptation, or extension to other territories. Article 1 bis goes further. In it, the French Republic recognizes that the laws that institutionalized the reduction of human beings to the status of personal property are inseparable from the crime against humanity. This crime is the one that the Taubira Act of May 21, 2001, recognized in the context of the slave trade and slavery.
Article 2 requires the Government to submit a report to Parliament within one year of the law’s enactment. The report will list the provisions derived from colonial law that are still in force in the overseas territories. It will analyze their contemporary implications, particularly for the descendants of enslaved people. It will assess the role of the history of slavery, the slave trade, and their abolition in school curricula. Finally, it will propose measures to develop sites of remembrance and historical research.
After repeal, the transfer
The Code Noir is thus being removed from French law, but its history must still be passed on. Within a year of its enactment, the report will detail what traces of colonial law remain in the overseas territories. It will also address the extent to which schools address slavery, the slave trade, and their abolition. It remains to be seen what Parliament will do with these proposals—and what students will take away from them.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Code Noir
On October 20, 2026, Parliament definitively adopted the repeal of the Code Noir. The law must still be enacted within a maximum of fifteen days, unless the matter is referred to the Constitutional Council.
No. It fell into disuse with the permanent abolition of slavery by the decree of April 27, 1848, but it had never been formally repealed.
It repeals the edict of March 1685 and the provisions adopted for its implementation. It links these texts to the crime against humanity recognized by the Taubira Act of 2001. Finally, it requires the Government to submit a report, within one year of its enactment, on colonial law still in force.
After Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Guadeloupe, and Martinique, our serieson the history of Caribbean cinema continues its exploration of Caribbean cinema in the early 21st century. This seventh episode takes us from Antigua and Barbuda to Martinique.
On one hand, Howard and Mitzi Allen are helping to build a local movie theater in a small island nation. On the other, Guy Deslauriers and Patrick Chamoiseau are depicting the origins of the biguine in 19th-century Saint-Pierre. You are watching the seventh episode of ten. Six episodes are already available on Richès Karayib, and three more will follow.
2001: ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA – “THE SWEETEST MANGO, THE SKIN” BY HOWARD ALLEN
The Skin is the second feature film by the Allen couple—Howard directing and Mitzi producing. In 2001, they directed *The Sweetest Mango* (2001) so that their country would have its first “local” feature film to mark the dawn of the 21st century. The film is clearly inspired by their own love story: Lovelyanne “Luv ” Davies, returning after several years living in Canada, struggles to readjust to her home country, given the small size of the archipelago (440 km²) and the limited professional opportunities, while one of her colleagues woos her and eventually marries her.
Based on a classic plot, this film—which was, unfortunately, technically flawed (shot with first-generation digital cameras)—already stood out in several ways: it lacked any social or historical dimension, unlike other Caribbean films, a title referencing mango season (from April through the end of summer), which created a temporal marker firmly rooted in the landscape; and the assertion that even small spaces can be the setting for grand stories (of love, among others).
For The Skin, this ambitious couple—struggling to make a film on an island with fewer than 100,000 residents—received support from a technical crew from the prestigious African American university Howard University as well as an international cast that included the famous Jamaican actor Carl Bradshaw and British comedian Jeff Stewart.
While catering to a tourist-oriented vision of the island (aerial shots of the coastline, pleasure boats, sensuous dances and accompanying music, etc.), this film is firmly rooted in Caribbean magical-religious folklore through the story of a cursed vase linked to the era of slavery and features some particularly unsettling nighttime sequences in the woods, where the Creole language mischievously blends with English. An effective film with lofty ambitions.
2004: MARTINIQUE – BIGUINE, BY GUY DESLAURIERS
The third feature film from the Chamoiseau-Deslauriers duo, a unique collaboration between Caribbean literature and Caribbean cinema To date, this musical (or, more precisely, musical drama) about the invention of the famous “biguine” music in the city of Saint-Pierre (at the time the world capital of sugar and rum) in Martinique during the second half of the 19th century serves as an opportunity to portray the process of creolization, an accelerated and unpredictable cultural fusion (as proposed by the author Édouard Glissant), through musical creation. Hermansia (Micheline Mona, daughter of the famous Eugène Mona, a specialist in the “flûte des mornes”) and Tiquitaque (Max Télèphe), coming from the countryside, settle in the city, where they will live for nearly 30 years.
The music they play, of African origin, held no appeal for bourgeois dance halls. It was then, upon coming into contact with European music, ballets (Saint-Pierre had an opera house, a streetcar, and gas lighting) or mazurkas, and European instruments, which were largely unfamiliar to them, they began to blend different musical styles. In particular, Hermansia made a major decision by giving her partner a clarinet.
The clash between rhythms of African origin (music from the Martinican countryside) and European instruments (clarinet, violin, piano, etc.) gave rise to the biguine, much like so many other forms of Caribbean music, from reggae to steel bands to compas. In this film, the Caribbean woman is thus at the heart of the process of cultural creolization: Biguine complements the various aspects of “femifocality”, that is, the importance of women in Caribbean cinema. Finally, in addition to the numerous musical sequences featuring legendary biguine songs with strong political undertones, the film concludes with a depiction of the famous 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée, which leveled the city of Saint-Pierre and claimed nearly 30,000 lives.
About the Author
Guillaume Robillard holds a Ph.D. in film studies; he is a professor and researcher, a documentary filmmaker, and a specialist in Caribbean cinema and artistic production. He is the author of two books: *Conquest of Space and Time: Caribbean Cinema (Éditions Jannink, “Hypothèses d’Art,” 2023) and Decolonial Cinema: Characters in Caribbean Cinema (Presses Universitaires des Antilles, “Arts et Esthétique,” 2024).
"Stories of Caribbean Cinema" series. Season 6/10 is already available on Richès Karayib. Stay tuned for Season 8/10 coming soon.
Martinique has just won a 2026 Silver Magellan Award for its culinary heritage. Presented by Travel Weekly, this award honors the Martinique Tourism Board in the category of Caribbean culinary destinations. This international recognition highlights the island’s flavors, its culinary expertise, and a growing ambition: to make Martinican cuisine a true travel experience.
2026 Silver Magellan Award: An Accolade for Martinican Cuisine
The results of the 2026 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards are now available on the competition’s official website. Martinique is among the winners, having received a silver medal in the “Caribbean – Overall Destinations – Culinary Destination” category. The Martinique Tourism Committee’s (CMT) entry, titled “Martinique: Where Culinary Heritage Comes to Life,” highlights a destination where culinary heritage continues to thrive and be passed down through the generations.
Organized by the U.S. trade publication Travel Weekly, the Magellan Awards recognize achievements in various areas of international tourism. Entries are evaluated based on their relevance, creativity, quality, and impact. However, it is important to note that the silver medal does not constitute a ranking that places Martinique in second place among Caribbean culinary destinations. Each entry is evaluated individually according to the contest’s criteria.
A cuisine that tells the story of Martinique
To understand why this cuisine is so highly regarded, one need only look at what makes up a typical Martinican meal. Colombo reflects Indian influences. Accras, fish blaff, and boucané chicken are all testaments to culinary traditions shaped over generations. African, European, Indian, and Caribbean influences come together in a cuisine that has now developed its own distinct identity.
This richness can also be discovered in the markets, among local producers, and in family kitchens. Tropical fruits, locally grown vegetables, spices, and seafood all contribute to a culinary tradition deeply rooted in the region. But this heritage is not based solely on recipes. It thrives thanks to the farmers, fishermen, artisans, restaurateurs, and families who preserve traditional methods while leaving room for new interpretations.
Martinique aims to become a premier gourmet destination
The 2026 Silver Magellan Award comes at a time when Martinique is seeking to take its culinary tourism to new heights. On June 8 and 9, 2026, the Martinique Tourism Committee organized its first Gourmet Tourism Forum in Fort-de-France. Restaurant professionals, training providers, and representatives from various sectors were invited to come together to discuss the future of this industry.
These events are part of the “Martinique Destination Gourmande 2030” strategy, which aims to make local cuisine a key driver of the region’s appeal. One of the highlights of the forum was the signing of a letter of commitment with several partners, including IGCAT, to prepare a bid for the title of World Region of Gastronomy 2030. This is still an aspiration and not a title that has been awarded. Nevertheless, this initiative demonstrates a commitment to better organizing and promoting the island’s culinary resources.
Flavors from Martinique that travel beyond the Caribbean
This desire to expand its reach is also reflected in events organized abroad. From September 8 to 19, 2026, the festival Martinique Gourmande celebrated its 19th edition in Montreal, Quebec, under the theme “The Joy of Sharing.” Cod acras, octopus colombo-style, smoked chicken, and tropical-flavored desserts were among the offerings that allowed the public to discover or rediscover Martinican cuisine.
This type of initiative helps showcase the island in ways other than just its beaches and scenery. Gastronomy becomes a gateway to its history, its traditions, and encounters with the people who bring it to life.
International recognition—what's next?
The 2026 Silver Magellan Award brings new visibility to Martinique’s culinary heritage. It joins other initiatives aimed at better promoting local products, supporting professionals, and developing the gastronomic experiences offered to visitors. The award alone does not guarantee an increase in tourist numbers. However, it does provide a new selling point for promoting the island’s cultural richness. For behind every Martinican specialty lie stories, traditions, and generations of culinary heritage. These treasures continue to breathe life into Martinican cuisine, far beyond the island’s borders.
FAQ: The 2026 Silver Magellan Award and Martinican Cuisine
Martinique has won a 2026 Silver Magellan Award in the “Caribbean – Overall Destinations – Culinary Destination” category. The nomination submitted by the Martinique Tourism Committee highlights the island’s culinary heritage. The specific criteria cited by the jury were not made public.
The Travel Weekly Magellan Awards are international awards dedicated to the tourism industry. They recognize achievements in areas such as destinations, the hotel industry, cruises, and tourism marketing. The awards are presented following evaluation by a jury of industry professionals.
No. Martinique is preparing a bid for the title of World Region of Gastronomy 2030. A letter of commitment was signed in June 2026 by several partners, including the Martinique Tourism Committee and IGCAT.
We’ve reached the halfway point of the series “Stories of Caribbean Cinema.” The first four episodes have spanned nearly three decades of cinema, from Cuba in the 1960s to productions from Martinique and Curaçao in the 1980s. This fifth installment moves into the 1990s with two films set in very different worlds. Euzhan Palcy’s *Siméon* delves into a Caribbean imagination where music, ghosts, and magical realism converge. Raoul Peck’s *The Man on the Quay* revisits François Duvalier’s dictatorship in Haiti through the eyes of a child.
You are now reading the fifth episode in a series of ten. Four episodes have already been published on Richès Karayib, and five more will follow in this series through 2025.
1997: JAMAICA - "DANCEHALL QUEEN" BY RICK ELGOOD & DON LETTS
Dancehall Queen is one of many Jamaican films that follow the formula established by *The Harder They Come* (Perry Henzell, 1972): Jamaican music (reggae or dancehall), known internationally; sexualized dance (as seen in the closing credits of Henzell’s film, with a close-up of a woman’s hips as she dances, like an invitation to what comes next); violence in the ghetto, and sporadic police interventions.
This is true of some major films in this genre, including *Rockers* (1978) by Greek director Theodoros Bafaloukos, considered by some to be the film that best captured the rebellious spirit of reggae and Rastafarian philosophy (a community presence that plays a central role in *Countryman* by Dickie Jobson in 1982), and which sparked a riot during its screening at the Cannes Film Festival in 1979; or, more recently, *Better Mus’Come* by Storm Saulter (2011), which takes on a more overtly political dimension by drawing inspiration from actual riots that occurred during an election period.
So, *Dancehall Queen* opens with a “music video”-style sequence featuring the famous Beenie Man, who plays a supporting role, singing—just as in the film’s final act, several performances take place on stage during a dance competition. However, one major difference stands out: the main character is a woman. Marcia is a street vendor who decides to enter a dance competition as a way to break free.
At the same time, one of his daughters is being hit on by her uncle Larry, who provides financial support to the family. When she tells her mother about this, her mother downplays her own brother’s behavior and points to her financial difficulties. As she gradually realizes the true nature of her brother Larry—who, in the meantime, has slept with his own niece—she manipulates one of his henchmen to turn against him.
The issue of violence against women is a recurring theme in English-language Caribbean cinema, particularly in the semi-professional productions of Mathurine Emmanuel (St. Lucia) and Anderson Quarless (Grenada), whereas this subject remains taboo in Guadeloupean and Martinican cinema, with a few rare exceptions. The directness with which the issue of rape—and, more specifically, incest—is addressed sets *Dancehall Queen*.
2000: MARTINIQUE - "PASSAGE DU MILIEU" BY GUY DESLAURIERS
To mark the turn of the 21st century, director Guy Deslauriers and his screenwriter Patrick Chamoiseau (winner of the 1992 Prix Goncourt for his famous novel Texaco) invite us to relive the Atlantic crossing aboard a slave ship, which during the era of slavery was known as the “ Middle Passage ” (meaning the “Middle Passage”), as a necessary act of remembrance.
Three-quarters of the film takes place in the hold, among the slaves torn from Africa. Several flashbacks “take us back” to that continent—to the villages, rivers, and vast plains—all accompanied by the voice-over of an anonymous slave whose face constantly changes (often looking directly at the camera) throughout the film, as if he were representing each and every one of them.
This lost Africa is, quite clearly, embodied by a woman who stares directly into our eyes—the eyes of the audience—while the voice-over says: “Woman, you are the earth, violated twice. You are the mother from whom her children are snatched. Of all our Africas, you are the most real. ” In the first feature film directed by Deslauriers and Chamoiseau, *The Exile of King Béhanzin* (1996), the film depicted the imprisonment (a historically verified event) of King Ahydjéré of the Kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Benin), in Martinique, following his defeat at the hands of Alfred Dodds’ French troops: a way for Caribbean cinema to reestablish a connection with the “Pays d’avant” (the “Land of Before”), to borrow an expression from the poet and philosopher Édouard Glissant.
A few years after *Amistad* by Steven Spielberg (1997), *Passage du milieu* was widely acclaimed for its meticulous portrayal of this chapter of colonial history. As a result, it won an award at the renowned Sundance Film Festival and was broadcast and later released on DVD by HBO in the United States.
2000: CUBA – WAITING LIST (LISTA DE ESPERA), BY JUAN CARLOS TABÍO
A close friend of Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Juan Carlos Tabío co-directed with him the last two films by the famous director, known in Cuba as “El Titón” (“The Titan”), namely Strawberry and Chocolate / Fresa y Chocolate (1993) and Guantanamera (1995). The first is a comedy about the lives of gay people and the state’s control over them in Cuba, based on a screenplay co–written by Senel Paz, an author who has frequently addressed the place of homosexuality in Cuban society in his various writings, and who was honored with an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film—a first for a Cuban film.
The second is a fast-paced, offbeat road movie that, like *Strawberry and Chocolate*, does not shy away from casting a critical eye on the Cuban regime and stands as Alea’s true cinematic testament. As for Juan Carlos Tabío, this is by no means his first attempt, since his debut feature film, *Se permuta*, dates back to 1985. In the satirical vein of Alea’s films, Waiting List follows the journey of a group of characters waiting for a bus—sometimes bound for Havana, sometimes for Santiago—at an isolated bus stop.
Between the buses that never show up and those that are so worn out they break down, the station manager repairs a battered bus himself in the absence of spare parts—parts that cannot come from either the communist regime of the former USSR, which has collapsed, nor from the United States, which has imposed an economic embargo on the island—waiting passengers will have to learn to live together and overcome all the current difficulties, including finding food…
In addition to being a film that offers a critical view of Cuba, this bittersweet comedy with multiple plot twists, carried by an exceptional cast that highlights the immense professionalism of Cuban cinema, is a subtle reflection on the difficulty of overcoming individualism and coming together as one—that is, of functioning in a communist manner. The final section, blurring the lines between dream and reality, establishes a beautiful political utopia with infectious cheerfulness. A pinnacle of Cuban cultural refinement.
About the Author
Guillaume Robillard holds a Ph.D. in film studies; he is a professor and researcher, a documentary filmmaker, and a specialist in Caribbean cinema and artistic production. He is the author of two books: *Conquest of Space and Time: Caribbean Cinema (Éditions Jannink, “Hypothèses d’Art,” 2023) and Decolonial Cinema: Characters in Caribbean Cinema (Presses Universitaires des Antilles, “Arts et Esthétique,” 2024).
The release of *Magma*, a film by French director Cyprien Vial heavily inspired by the 1976 eruption of La Soufrière, which raised fears that the capital city of Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe) would be destroyed, followed by two films directed by Guadeloupeans: *Fanon* (Jean-Claude Barny), about the famous anti-colonialist intellectual during his time in Algeria, and *Zion*, in less than a month, succeeded in drawing the attention of the French media (Le Monde, Libération, etc.) to the potential of Caribbean cinema and, more broadly, of films dealing with the French overseas territories.
"Stories of Caribbean Cinema" series. Episode 5/10 is already available on Richès Karayib. Stay tuned for Episode 7/10 coming soon.
We’ve reached the halfway point of the “Stories of Caribbean Cinema” series. The first four episodes have covered nearly three decades of cinema, from Cuba in the 1960s to productions from Martinique and Curaçao in the 1980s. This fifth installment moves into the 1990s with two films set in very different worlds. Euzhan Palcy’s “Siméon” delves into a Caribbean imagination where music, ghosts, and magical realism converge. Raoul Peck’s “The Man on the Quay” looks back at François Duvalier’s dictatorship in Haiti through the eyes of a child.
You are now reading the fifth episode in a series of ten. Four episodes have already been published on Richès Karayib, and five more will follow through 2025.
1992: MARTINIQUE/GUADELOUPE - SIMÉON, BY EUZHAN PALCY
Following his early work in Hollywood, Euzhan Palcy returned to the Caribbean with a film rooted in Caribbean magical-religious folklore, told in the style of a fairy tale and shot in Guadeloupe. In the first twenty minutes, music teacher Siméon, majestically portrayed by Jean-Claude Duverger, passes away. Unable to ascend to heaven, Siméon’s ghost (known as “the spirit of music”) remains with his friends, who have formed a band called “Jacaranda”, whose members are played by the real-life band Kassav’ (led by Jacob Desvarieux and Jocelyne Béroard), who invented zouk.
He’ll help them promote their music to producers in Paris. Partly narrated by the young Orélie (Lucinda Messager), the film’s plot presents the French capital (recreated in studios) as imagined by a young woman from Guadeloupe, in the style of an Épinal print, as a “shift” in perspective: it is now the French mainland (and no longer the overseas territories) that is to be seen as a “postcard.”
Above all, this film cinematographically develops a marvelous realism, a sort of Caribbean fantasy in which supernatural events are experienced without surprise and in which the characters interact quite naturally with a ghost they cannot see (unlike in most ghost movies) but can hear (in a clear celebration of oral tradition). A few years later, *Nord-Plage* (2004), the only film to date directed by a Béké from the French Antilles (a descendant of a slave-owning family), based on a screenplay by Patrick Chamoiseau (1992 Goncourt Prize winner), would brilliantly continue this tradition, which has been tentatively emerging since the earliest films of Caribbean cinema. Siméon, a blend of joy and originality!
1993: HAITI – "The Man on the Quay", by Raoul Peck
Defining Haitian cinema is no easy task. Indeed, unlike other Caribbean film industries that are more “structured,” such as in Cuba or Jamaica, for example, or those with limited production, like Antigua and Barbuda, in Haiti, many films are made, sometimes under precarious technical conditions, and are highly popular with the public despite their semi-professional nature.
One might think, in particular, of films such as Does the President Have AIDS? (2006), starring the famous Jimmy Jean-Louis, who played “the Haitian” in the American series Heroes (2006–2010), and A Zombie’s Love (2010) by Arnold Antonin, starring the future director of Freda (2021), Gessica Généus, a must-see filmmaker best known for his documentaries and his relentless commitment to chronicling everyday life in Haiti.
One date is often mentioned: the release of the medium-length film Anita by Rassoul Labuchin in 1980. As for feature-length fiction films, “L’Homme sur les quais” is a must-see, if only for its international cast and Raoul Peck’s career: among other works, the fictional film “Lumumba” (2000), and the documentaries “I Am Not Your Negro” (2016) about the intellectual James Baldwin, and Orwell: 2+2 = 5 (2025) or the documentary series Exterminate All These Brutes (2021), not to mention his tenure as director of the prestigious FÉMIS film school (2010–2019).
Selected for the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival, “The Man on the Docks” is a rare film in Caribbean cinema due to its reliance on numerous slow-motion effects, achieved through the actors’ performances and frequent camera movements (starting with the very first sequence), which capture the constant tension that existed during the dictatorship of François Duvalier (1957–1971), a tension that, at times, erupts without warning within a consistently understated visual style.
Seen through the eyes of a young girl whose father opposes the regime, and who is staunchly defended by her grandmother, played with dignity by the famous singer Toto Bissainthe (who passed away shortly after the film was released), the film’s plot concludes with the child’s voice-over: “even as my story ceases to be just my own and becomes everyone’s…” A major film about dictatorship.
About the Author
Guillaume Robillard holds a Ph.D. in film studies; he is a professor and researcher, a documentary filmmaker, and a specialist in Caribbean cinema and artistic production. He is the author of two books: *Conquest of Space and Time: Caribbean Cinema (Éditions Jannink, “Hypothèses d’Art,” 2023) and Decolonial Cinema: Characters in Caribbean Cinema (Presses Universitaires des Antilles, “Arts et Esthétique,” 2024).
The release of Magma, a film by French director Cyprien Vial heavily inspired by the 1976 eruption of La Soufrière, which raised fears that the capital city of Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe) would be destroyed, followed by two films directed by Guadeloupeans, namely Fanon (Jean-Claude Barny), about the famous anti-colonialist intellectual during his time in Algeria, and *Zion*, in less than a month, succeeded in drawing the attention of the French media (Le Monde, Libération, etc.) to the potential of Caribbean cinema and, more broadly, of films dealing with the French overseas territories.
