Videos

Pan on film: Documentary highlights Brooklyn’s steel pan culture The story of the steel pan! Brooklyn’s rich steel pan culture comes to life in a new documentary about the instrument and the people who keep it going. Filmmaker Christine Shaw highlights the borough’s steel pan community and their journeys to the anticipated competition that bands practice year-round for — Panorama. At a recent screening for the film titled “Panorama: Jamming to the Top,” the stories of pan players come to the forefront — showing viewers the beauty and struggle that come with keeping the tradition alive. Shaw said she focused on two aspects for the film — the competition itself and one group in particular. “One aspect of the film follows steel pan culture in Brooklyn documenting the struggles that the band’s face to bring their band’s to Panorama, and it also follows one band — Steel Xplosion — and their rocky journey to Panorama,” said Shaw. She says one viewer at the screening had some critiques on the film, but overall the 73-minute project was well-received from the audience, and she feels its because it examined more than just the steel pan. “Everyone really loved it,” said Shaw. “Most steel pan documentaries focus on the arranger or talk about the history of the instrument, but nothing that really focuses on the actual players and what they go through.” A pan player herself, after completing her masters in film, Shaw decided to take a summer off from playing to follow bands about working on their journey to Panorama. She visited different pan yards, interviewing band members and arrangers, immersing herself into their preparation for the competition.