Storm Saulter Talks Possession, Tropical Noir and the Spirit of Jamaica

Storm Saulter is a Jamaican film and television director and multidisciplinary artist whose work is rooted in bold visual storytelling and a deep commitment to Caribbean culture.

Now directing all five episodes of Sky Atlantic’s supernatural thriller Possession, starring Gugu Mbatha Raw and Jonny Lee Miller, Saulter brings his distinctly Jamaican perspective to a story spanning present day Jamaica and the 1700s. Working alongside series creator Karla Crome, he has shaped what he describes as a “Tropical Noir”, weaving colonial history, Jamaican spirituality, folklore and ritual into the show’s gothic world, while championing authentic Jamaican talent and examining what it takes to tell culturally specific stories on a global scale.

Please introduce yourself …
Storm Saulter, Film & TV Director and Multidisciplinary Artist, from Negril, Jamaica. Virgo.

Describe your life currently, in one word or a sentence…
Life is good.

Why are we here?
Possession is being released into the world this week. I’ve spent much of the last 2 years in either prep, production or post, and then trying to prepare myself for what comes next. The energy is upfull and I believe the show will start many a conversation once audiences can sit with it. I look forward to those conversations.

Tell us about Possession in your own words…
In a sense it is about the spirit of colonialism that still haunts the world today. A spirit that seems to be resurgent in these times. It raises questions about identity. Do we honour our roots or distance ourselves from them to assimilate into the seemingly ‘dominant’ culture? Can we, quite literally, break “generational curses”?

Define your contribution to the project?
I am, in essence, the creative captain of the ship. I directed every episode of the show, so it was my responsibility to build the world of Possession. To develop and guide its visual language with our cinematographer, production and costume designers, location teams, VFX, make-up and on and on. I would also feed ideas back into the scriptwriting process which continues throughout production as inspiration strikes and we are reacting to elements on the ground. Telling the story of Possession in sound is just as important, so I worked closely with our composers and sound designer who created a truly original, haunting and distinctly Caribbean soundscape. One that slips back and forth between the 1700’s and present day Jamaica.

I read that you’ve been waiting for a project like Possession your whole life … explain why?
Because I know what I am capable of creatively and finally here was a project with the emotional depth, scale, team and resources to execute it at the highest level. I give thanks for every step of the journey that got me here, but it has been a battle at times. Possession was by far my most comfortable and calm directing experience and that is a testament to how ready I was, as well as the phenomenal team supporting me. I had been dreaming about creating a ‘Tropical Noir’ with all of the elements present in this show, so when the script landed on my desk I had such a clear vision right out of the gate. Thankfully Karla Crome and the entire production team were so open to me and my ideas.

Ensuring authenticity whilst remembering the necessity of storytelling and the audience outside of the people being represented is a weight creatives bear when creating a culturally important story – what are the rules you adhere to check all those boxes?
I believe if you make sure that the themes and underlying motivations of your characters feel truly universal, it allows you to get very culturally specific. Don’t soften the language, strengthen what is driving the story forward. We should nurture a sense of discovery in the audience, rather than making it too easy for them. We want them to lean in because the story has them by the neck. Our characters speaking authentic patois is more important than catching every word. Our cultural traditions being authentically represented is key. We nah water down di ting.

Having our spirituality demonised to the point that, as Black people, whether from the Caribbean, Africa or the Diaspora, we often reject it ourselves, how did you and Karla navigate how you’d present voodoo, traditional practices and traditions like the Junkanoo festival?
We worked with an amazing cultural consultant Dr. L’Antoinette Stines in both the research and production periods. She brought together various traditional practitioners to guide us as these rituals and celebrations were performed. The Junkanoo performers are real, the Nine Night musicians and dancers are real practitioners. We ensured that the grounds we were filming on were properly blessed and offerings made to the ancestors out of respect. We had to do this the right way, and also to ensure that our cast & crew were protected. We felt a spiritual wind in our sails pushing us forward at all times.

With the experience you bring to the table working with a writer making her series debut, how did you collaborate to ensure you were on the same page?
Karla Crome is an amazing writer and overall collaborator, and these scripts were true page-turners. She has lived with this story for so long, through its various iterations, and as a result I felt she was open to new ideas and always found a way to work them into the scripts in such a smooth way. We really respect each other and have built a creative trust so we are not only open to trying new things, but also protective of the ideas that each holds dear.

The cast is quite a stellar cast – tell us about the casting process from Gugu Mbatha-Raw, to your ‘muse’ Sheldon Sheppard, Johnny Miller and the wider Jamaican cast …
First off let’s big up UK casting director Kharmel Cochrane and Jamaica casting director Kareen Blake-Chin for the amazing work they did on this. An early version of the show came to me in 2022 and at the time I had a specific cast in my mind. Sheldon Shepherd, Bel Powley, even Gugu Mbatha-Raw was thought of as a potential Claudia at the time (the role that Jonny Lee Miller plays had not been written yet). But if memory serves, none of these actors seemed likely at the time for one reason or another. The project went away for a while. I randomly met Gugu in Jamaica at a friend’s wedding that New Years Eve. Then fast forward to 2024 and Possession was back. And this time the vibes, schedules and everything else aligned.

For the wider Jamaican cast I wanted to work with the best of the new generation of actors. Nadean Rawlins is a powerhouse as ‘Mercy’. Jeff Crossley blew everyone away with his audition for ‘Angelo’ and staked his claim on that role. Shantol Jackson is a phenomenal actress I had worked with previously on Sprinter. Jamaican/Canadian Olunike Adeliyi is someone I wanted to work with for a while and she nailed Detective Patsy Dawkins. It was a blessing to have this cast and was extra sweet to watch the Jamaican actors square off with certified global stars and more than hold their own. We have the talent all we’ve ever needed was the platform.

Back to the authenticity of this story – what were your non-negotiables?
To tell this story entirely from the perspective of a Jamaican storyteller, no matter where in the world we go. Keep the language raw and real. Shoot in the right locations and truly give a sense of scale and detail so our audiences can discover something genuinely new. Keep the spiritual and ritualistic visuals/language as true to reality as possible without opening any dangerous spiritual doors. Ensure our original score felt grounded in the Caribbean. To be very intentional with the music used throughout: Lila Iké, Dennis Brown, Samory I, Chronixx, Little Simz, Equiknoxx – The voices and lyrics are always speaking directly to what is happening on screen. Nothing is random.

Who was your rock throughout this process – as a director and personally?
As a director my rock throughout this process has definitely been series producer Kate Ogborn. She protected my ideas and fought for me every single day. And somehow, amazingly, found a way to get all of my ideas into this show. Ruth Kenley-Letts and the Snowed-In productions team are passionate protectors of the creative team. They will fight for us when necessary and it shows on screen.

My brother Nile Saulter is the 2nd Unit Director and I could trust his taste and his eye to go off and capture so much amazing drone footage (and other material) that shines bright in the show. My big sister Stephanie Saulter has been a constant support especially with my time spent in the UK. And my girlfriend Christie Dèsir has been my cheerleader and my shoulder to lean on when I need it.

What did you enjoy or connect with most easily?
I love that we are dabbling in the world of Caribbean mythology – the world of obeah, duppies and zombies. We also dive into ancient European ritual magic and create a face-off between the two spanning centuries.

A favourite scene or moment in the series that best captures what this project means to you? (no spoilers)
It’s really hard to choose one, so I’ll just say the Junkanoo Festival scene. It is a fading practice in Jamaica and we wanted to do whatever we could to celebrate and elevate Junkanoo on screen. The costume department created a series of richly elaborate costumes alongside more traditional homemade costumes that the practitioners performed in. We had hundreds of extras in the Downtown Kingston arts district partying in the street while our characters chased through the crowd. That was fun.

And speak to the current landscape of film and series making in Jamaica: what’s the industry like, what does it need, is it growing in your opinion?
There is an abundance of talent in Jamaica in front of and behind the camera. There are a few different local organisations that have developed formulas for making independent feature films. There are amazing short films being made all the time. There are a substantial number of directors that are ready to make feature films. We need to find a way for feature films to get greenlit more often, from a financial and quality screenwriting perspective. The industry is growing and we need the planning/infrastructure for older professionals to pass on their knowledge to the new generation. The hope is that Possession will ignite a hunger in global audiences for more authentic storytelling from Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

If not this, then what? It had to be this. I am a creative through and through. I also take pictures, paint, make music and video art.

What’s made you sad, mad, and glad this week? The comments on instagram. They’ve mostly made me glad, but ever-so-often some armchair expert gets to talking.

What are you watching? Widow’s Bay.

What are you reading? Surprise, Kill, Vanish: The Secret History of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators, and Assassins by Annie Jacobsen.

The last film you watched? Thief by Michael Mann.

The last play you saw? The Harder They Come at Stratford East.

The last live music event you attended? The Late Late show at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club.

What’s currently on your music playlist? The Cool Ruler Gregory Isaacs.

Which song are you listening to on repeat at the moment? If I don’t have you by Gregory Isaacs.

Which podcast(s) are you currently listening to? Short History Of…

What’s on your bucket list? To visit Japan, Portugal and Thailand and to direct an espionage thriller.

Possession is currently streaming on Sky & NOW TV