Dan Musty’s latest films celebrate Black History Month in Portsmouth by shining a light on the pioneering work of Marie Costa and Honorine Djenaba-MacDonald in the city. He spoke to Ivana Domozetska about empowerment, creativity and the role of influential women in Portsmouth’s Black communities.
Dan’s first film focuses on the work of the two women. Marie Costa, also known as the ‘Grandmother of the City’, is a former mayor of Portsmouth and was the first black midwife in the city. In the 1970s, she pioneered local multiculturalism alongside Honorine Djenaba-MacDonald through forums and groups. To this day Marie is the chair of the Portsmouth Black History Project.
Dan said, ‘Marie is a very strong role model for the city, and it was clear she needed to be a major part of the work. Telling her story was an honour and a privilege.’
‘It was important we told Marie and Honorine’s story but also demonstrated there were younger people ready to pick up that baton and run with it.’
The second film looks to the new generation of pioneers by showing Marie and Honorine in conversation with a group of young black girls from Portsmouth. Dan, co-founder of Millstream Productions, said, ‘It accidentally became a female project but in many ways I’m proud of that. I think the idea of passing the baton between Marie and Honorine as older women down to younger women works quite well.’
The producer thought that the six women involved in this project are ‘eloquent, powerful, can-do women’ and he ‘couldn’t imagine better role models’ for his daughters.
Dan was commissioned to make this film for Portsmouth Museum and Gallery. The Essex-born producer moved to Portsmouth to work with the community here. ‘We want to create content that has heart in it and I think you can delve into the community and find that beating heart.’
He co-founded Millstream Productions in 2011 with Ben Cloud. The Hampshire-based production company aims to create opportunities for young people and nurture talent in the film and TV industries on the southeast coast.
The producer believes that it’s everyone’s responsibility to celebrate multiculturalism and to represent people’s stories how they came to the city. He said, ‘We need to be neighbourly and welcoming and understanding the challenges people have.’
The films can be seen at the Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery, Museum Road, PO1 2LJ, from October until February 2026.
Image ‘Portsmouth and Portsmouth Harbour’ reproduced under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 licence
