"Search For Trouvadore"
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In the documentary Search For Trouvadore, filmmakers follow the historical and scientific investigation as it unfolds over a ten-year period, taking place on At its heart, though, this is a story about humanity and the strength of the human spirit, and its focus will be on the impact of the events of 1841 on people's lives, then and now.
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In August 2004, with information gathered from archival records, archeologists located the remains of a wooden ship that matches the description of the Trouvadore, an illegal Spanish slave ship that wrecked in the Turks and Caicos Islands in 1841. In 2006 the team conducted a test excavation and analysis to learn more about the wreckage. A final expedition in 2008 allowed the scientists to confirm that the wreck was indeed the slaveship Trouvadore.
three continents, Cuba, and the British West Indies. Part detective story, part scientific investigation, the story will be told as two intertwining threads. One story is that of the Trouvadore itself, both past and present, as it examines the role of science in understanding both history and modern culture.
The film will follow present day Turks and Caicos Islanders, many possibly descended from survivors of the Trouvadore, as they participate in DNA studies, perhaps confirming their connection to the ship, and ultimately to Africa. As a result of the genetic research, islanders hope to discover their African origins, and in the process, redefine their country's cultural identity.©2006-2011 Windward Media / HoustonPBS