“Liminality, is a state of ambiguity, lacking social consciousness, often being disoriented to the point of feeling anonymous; as political, cultural, and social norms are within a state of unending transition.
Since its inception Jamaican culture, has been in this state of liminality. Neither in nor out, neither first world nor third, Jamaica’s norms and functions are in a state of constant flux and our political history has created a situation of generational deadlock. Jamaica is an ideal that has been marketed as paradise while having one of the highest murder rates in the world. It is an island of such splendor and sheer beauty, that Ian Fleming decided to vacation on the island to write a book about a spy that kills, lays on the beach, and of course, gets the girl, (James Bond, Dr. No 1962, first of the Bond franchise). This liminality, however, has created a strange apartheid state, where one section of the population has no idea that they live in “paradise”, creating a social phenomenon of a national double consciousness.
‘Yes, We Have Met Before’ responds to this state of idyllic splendor surrounded with the effects of a militarized state. ”
-Phillip Thomas
