Location: Dominica

"Downtown looked like a war zone. We trod on, on missions to find family, food, and future."
- Michael Lees

Artist Biography

Michael Lees is a Dominican filmmaker and photographer whose work explores themes of nature, spirituality, and development. Michael attended UNC Chapel Hill, where he spent the first half of his college career studying business at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, later switching his major from business to communication studies with a focus in media production.

In 2020, Michael released his debut documentary, Uncivilized, which led him into the forests of Dominica, where he would face Hurricane Maria alone in a palm leaf and bamboo hut. The film has screened at festivals around the Caribbean and at international festivals such as the Brooklyn Film Festival and The Pan-African Film Festival in LA. It won the Caribbean Spirit award in 2020 at the Barbados Independent Film Festival.

Lees has written, shot, and edited for clients ranging from Billboard to UNICEF. He has exhibited his photography in Dominica & the UK and is a proud member of the Waitukubuli Artist Association.

Much of his inspiration is drawn from his home island, Dominica.