Director’s Note

Hey, family?

I’m excited to share a little update on Sugar Dumplin, a project that hits close to home, both literally and culturally. This film is rooted in the warmth, strength, and love that we as Caribbean people hold close, especially when it comes to family. Sugar Dumplin is my way of honouring those traditions – the late-night kitchen sessions; the stories shared over a pot of stew, and the unspoken bonds that food and care bring to our lives.

Growing up Jamaican, you realize early that food isn’t just food – it’s a connection to the ancestors, a way of healing, and sometimes the only way to say, “I love you.” Sugar Dumplin explores those moments. It’s about how we carry the weight of caring for our elders while holding on to the flavours, values, and memories they pass down. Every time my grandmother made her famous dumplings or a pot of curry goat, she taught me about love, resilience, and how to keep the family strong.

This film isn’t just about family care – it’s about how, in our Caribbean culture, food becomes a language, a way to express care when words fall short. In Sugar Dumplin, you’ll feel the heat of the kitchen, smell the pimento and thyme, and understand how those simple things ground us when life starts to feel like it’s slipping through our fingers.

I’m grateful to have an incredible team supporting this vision, but we still need some help to make it happen. Whether it’s through partnerships, resources, or simply spreading the word, we’re calling on our extended family – you – to bring this story to the world.

Sugar Dumplin is a tribute to our Caribbean heritage, our love for family, and the ways we care for each other, even in the quietest of moments. I can’t wait for you to see it and feel it the way I do.

Big love,

Tristan Barrocks

Writer & Director, Sugar Dumplin