Michael Lees is a Dominican filmmaker and photographer whose work explores themes of connection, nature, & development. Michael attended UNC Chapel Hill, where he spent the first half of his college career studying business at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, later switching his major from business to
communication studies with a focus in media production. In 2020, Michael released his debut documentary, Uncivilized, which led him into the forests of Dominica, where he would face Hurricane Maria alone in a palm leaf and bamboo hut. The film premiered at TTFF 2019 screened at festivals including the Brooklyn Film Festival and The Pan-African Film Festival. It won the Caribbean Spirit award in 2020 at the Barbados Independent Film Festival. Lees has written, shot, and edited for clients ranging from Billboard to UNICEF. He has exhibited his photography work at national exhibitions and was recently featured in the OECS exhibition Climate Change: An Eastern Caribbean Journey. Michael is a proud member of the Waitukubuli Artist Association.