In the two decades that have passed since Hurricane Ivan, books and films have documented its destruction, and the life-changing effect it had on all who experienced it.
Here are a few of the best known local accounts of the storm.
‘Ivan’
Short film written and directed by Jazz Pitcairn
Jazz Pitcairn was just 5 years old when Hurricane Ivan blasted its way through Grand Cayman. Almost two decades later, she transferred that devastating experience onto the big screen with her directorial debut short movie ‘Ivan’. The nine-minute film depicts the life-changing events of Hurricane Ivan, offering Pitcairn’s personal experience of the storm, as well as raising awareness of climate change and under-represented Caribbean communities. The film stars Sasha Lane, who portrays a mother keeping her family safe during the wrath of the storm. ‘Ivan’ was shown at international film festivals, and has won best score for an international fi m at the Garden State Film Festival for ‘Force of Nature’, composed by Fadi Khoury and performed by Khoury and Pierce Constanti. Jazz was previously best known for writing on HBO’s Emmy-winning series, ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’.
‘Paradise Interrupted’
Book by Courtney Platt
Many homes in Cayman have a copy of this photographic essay book by photographer Courtney Platt. The 160-page hardcover holds more than 300 colour photographs showing Ivan’s devastation, and has a foreword by the then governor, Bruce Dinwiddy. Photo spreads convey the damage to homes, businesses, boats, cars, government buildings and hotels, as well as illustrate the death and destruction of marine, bird and wildlife habitats. Before and after shots also show the impressive rebuilding that took place in the year following the hurricane. When describing the motivation behind producing the book Courtney referred to Ivan as “a punctuation mark in the history of Grand Cayman, and we now think in terms of ‘before Ivan’ and ‘after Ivan’”.
‘Hurricane Ivan Survival Stories’
Book by Terri Merren
Despite never having written a book before, Terri Merren felt compelled to compile survival stories experienced in Ivan, in the words of those who weathered the storm. She spent the months following the hurricane recording the extraordinary accounts of heroism and triumph over adversity before putting them down on paper. The resulting ‘Hurricane Ivan Survival Stories’ tells these stories alongside striking images of Ivan’s destruction, and of the people affected. Read some of these stories, starting on page 32.
‘Hurricane Ivan: The Experience’
Book by Chelsea Rivers
Released five years after the storm’s passage, ‘Hurricane Ivan: The Experience’ recounts the individually horrific stories of four families who weathered the storm in Grand Cayman. Born in Texas, author Chelsea Rivers moved to the Cayman Islands as a very young child and never left, even when faced with a Category 5 hurricane. Chelsea serves as a commissioner on the Human Rights Committee, owns Spirit of the West horseback riding company in West Bay, and is head of marketing operations and project communications for Maples Group.
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