The Tall Boy takes Trinidad and Tobago to Cannes Film Festival

The Tall Boy documentary pays tribute to masman Peter Minshall creator of the human-like tubes used in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. - File photo by Ayanna Kinsale

YOU’VE seen them everywhere – at the side of the road getting people’s attention for businesses, at car shows, in movies, in commercials, on videos on the internet – those inflatable human-like figures with arms and body flailing about wildly.
But did you know the idea was dreamed up by Trinidad and Tobago’s very own artist and masman Peter Minshall?
Very few people do, which is the point of The Tall Boy, the documentary which won best documentary at the 2025 Diversity in Cannes Short Film and Webseries Showcase in Cannes, France on May 19.
It was also one of the two films screened on May 21 at the first ever Caribbean Day, hosted by Pavillon Afriques at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Simon Baptiste, producer of The Tall Boy, said the documentary was an ode to Minshall, whose work was used by major productions around the world and helped put TT on the map.
One of those ways is the tube man, or tall boy as Minshall called it, which he designed for the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

The Tall Boy director Life Garland, left, and producer Simon Baptiste celebrate the win for Best Documentary at the Diversity in Cannes Award Ceremony. - Photo courtesy Simon Baptiste

---

Speaking to Newsday from Athens, Greece via a WhatsApp call on June 4, Baptiste explained Minshall was hired to be the creative director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games. He designed the tall boys for the closing ceremony but did not have the time to build them himself. The organisers hired a contractor to build his design and the contractor filed for the patent without his knowledge.
When Minshall’s team discovered this, attorneys were hired to take the contractor to court but learned it would be very costly to fight it. Minshall did not have the funds to do so and so the case was dropped.
“The fact that he created something that is out of pop culture for the last 30 years and now everyone knows it but no one knows his name, was very unsettling for us.
“It’s like seeing something you recognise around the world at huge events, in concerts, in commercials, in TV series and movies, and knowing no one understands the significance of who this originates from or the country whose culture was able to contribute to this space.”
Although Minshall created it, he was never included in the patent so he never earned any royalties from the millions of tall boys or tube men sold or used over the decades.
“Minshall was never interested in revenge, but if we’re able to spread the word so that when people see it they can identify with it, that it is directly tied to our culture, it would be a great tribute.
“When I look at TT and the Caribbean, we are always seen as a tourism destination or associated with Carnival, but there is so little respect given to the massive amount of contributions that come from our islands.
“I felt it was really important that we go on this mission to start giving props to those who have really done so much for our arts and culture. We’ve done so much in terms of literature, artistic works that I think its time we started looking at those things and getting people to really pay tribute.”
He said director Life Garland did a fantastic job with the film and never gave up despite the many challenges and obstacles in his way. He said the various difficulties were disheartening. So much so the team almost stopped the project a few times, but at those points, something always happened to keep them going.
That they continued was fortunate because, not only did The Tall Boy win an award and was screened at the first Caribbean Day, the team was in the process of signing an agreement for the film with a UK distribution firm.
A Caribbean Voice
Independent of the official film festival, Diversity in Cannes is supported by award-winning actress Viola Davis’ company JuVee Productions, along with the British Film Institute and Screen Australia.
It was one of several standalone productions held in Cannes, France around the same time as the official film festival, which took place from May 13-24.
Baptiste said some details of the film were not finalised in time to submit the film to the Cannes Film Festival, but the film team was able to do so for Diversity in Cannes.
“The reason why they exist is because Cannes (film festival) tends to play to a certain audience that isn’t really about diversity. So knowing there’s something out there set up by these partners is great because it means women, minority groups, etc, who are also working hard to produce great cinema are recognised.”
Baptiste said and he was amazed by how focused people were during the screening.
“Everyone in that room hung on every word that was being said. You could tell there was an energy in the room in which people really fell in love with the story and, more importantly, wanted to champion TT and Peter Minshall.”
He said after three years of hard work it was a beautiful feeling and the team was grateful for the win, which felt even better.
Baptiste told Newsday Caribbean Day was championed by Mark Walton and Karine Barclais. It gave filmmakers of the region a chance to grow and improve. He said it was very successful and he was thankful for it.
​Caribbean Day included film screenings, panel discussions and networking sessions, and brought together film professionals, institutional representatives, creators and those interested in Caribbean culture. It was a chance to showcase Caribbean products to agents, distributors and major filmmakers.
“It was so necessary because, in my opinion, there hasn’t really been a voice that represents Caribbean filmmakers at Cannes. This was a chance for us all to be in the same room – TT, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, etc – so many of our brothers, sisters and neighbours how had a voice and a lane that we could all travel together and spread the word of who we are, what we’re doing, the advancements we’re making and, more importantly, how we’re working together.”
(Source: Newsday, June 8, 2025)