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Current Productions
‘BETWEEN FRIENDS’ – A DRAMATIC FEATURE FILM MADE IN T&T
If you see a film crew shooting on the beach or in a field somewhere – a motley crew of stunningly beautiful Trini women, Chinese cameramen, and Scandinavian sound engineers – go ahead and get excited. Yes, a big movie is being filmed on location right here.
It’s called Between Friends, and there’s even more reason to get excited: it’s ours. Written and directed by Omari Jackson, who was born here, Between Friends is the first feature film to be awarded equity funding from our own Trinidad and Tobago Film Company (TTFC). The 36-year-old, who also has Jamaican roots, and has lived in Namibia, has written a script that, from all accounts, bowls over everyone who reads it.
A snapshot of the interwoven relationships between a group of young people in contemporary Trinidad and Tobago, Between Friends features the ubiquitous “player” who is having unprotected sex; studious youngsters who want to find their wild side; another who wants to forget hers; even a May-December relationship - an older man with an Audi who feels he is entitled to have a ‘young ting’. HIV is not even mentioned but it’s there, lurking in the bedrooms.
“With this kind of content – sexuality and HIV - it affects everyone,” says producer Mandy Ward, a New Yorker whose next project will be with Frida Torresblanco, producer of Pan’s Labyrinth, which won three Oscars. “There was a bombardment of films and TV shows about the topic, but then it faded. So hopefully Between Friends will revive the issue and it will be fresh.”
Although Between Friends was selected by the TTFC since 2007 to benefit from its equity-based programme, which is offered to nationals, it has taken three years for both TTFC and Jackson to raise the more than TT$2million that it costs to produce the movie. Did Jackson have to sell his soul, and his body, to raise his portion of the funds? “Just about,” he laughed. This includes fees for everyone involved, plus the cost of hiring equipment (including The Red One camera, which is as HD as they come), accommodation, transport, catering, props, sets, wardrobe, make-up, and incidentals.
And although a lot of money is involved, the TTFC believes in the power of film to uplift and inspire us as a people. Seeing ourselves on the big screen has a profound effect on our psyche. And also, making a movie creates employment, and gives local talent an opportunity to shine, as well as to learn. Louris Lee-Sing, production manager on the Between Friends project remarked that, “The day to day grind of a movie production can be very difficult and I’ve really seen the cast and crew for this movie both foreign and local really make an effort to keep their attitudes positive. Even in the midst of hard work we had moments of joy and laughter. Over twenty local crew members worked on this film and the camaraderie was always marvelous.”
For Cassie Foster, a young local boom operator, working on the set has been a marvelous experience. Although he has already worked on a number of short films for the TTFC, and this is his second feature film, the chance to learn from an international crew is invaluable, especially with someone like director of audio Michael Thor Lengies. Lengies’ most recent film, Hermafrodita, is an award-winning drama shot in the Dominican Republic. “I’m into sound as well and Michael has taught me a number of techniques,” says Foster. “How to do different things, how pieces of equipment work.” For actress Marissa Baran, who is studying multimedia arts and design, this is also a chance to learn about directing. Jackson has taken her under his wing and shows her tips and techniques used behind the scenes. “My main focus is learning the ropes,” she says.
For the foreign crew, being in Trinidad has been a learning experience too: they’ve learned how to relax and take things a little easier.
“It’s a different pace from Manhattan,” says producer Mandy Ward. “When we first got here everyone was on New York time so we had to learn to slow down a bit. What’s lovely here is the mix of people. I mean, that’s what you’re known for but to actually see it and live it is pretty amazing. Then there’s the beauty, the different terrains – you’ve got the tropics, the jungle, the Atlantic [Ocean], the Caribbean [Sea]. There aren’t that many places with all this variety. And everybody has a place here – nobody’s left out of the mix of races. I don’t know how many places in the world can say that but this is one of the top places that is an actual melting pot.”
Michael Lengies thinks T&T has a lot of potential as a location as well. “US crews will feel more at home here because it’s almost got less of an island feel than the other islands. It’s English, first of all,” he laughed. “Transportation seems good. We haven’t been into the interior but everywhere has been fairly easy to get to. And we’ve had lots of choices for locations – both upscale and downscale. And that’s what you want in most movies. If the movie needs to feel the grime, then you’ve got it. And if you need to feel beautiful, you’ve got that too.”
Ward believes Between Friends has the potential to do well at international film festivals. “I’ll submit it to the festivals – Venice, Cannes, Sundance, Toronto – and from there, you hope to find a home in theatres and distribution. It’s an independent film and it has its place but it should find a home, hopefully. I think it will be a nice festival film and then it might have a limited release, hopefully, worldwide. DVD and on-demand and stuff like that, I think it will have a very good life. Also people tend to go for Caribbean movies because they want to escape. People want to get out. And whether they know the content or not, they want to see visually what Trinidad has to offer, so it does have that appeal. It will be a festival favourite.”
“With this film I think we have captured a Caribbean reality,” says Jackson. “And I think people - both in the Caribbean and outside - will appreciate that.”
And, no, there will be no need for subtitled in English!
For more information on the National Film industry, log on to www.trinidadandtobagofilm.com or email the TTFC at info@trinidadandtobagofilm.com
Contact: Janine Charles-Farray, Marketing Officer,
Trinidad and Tobago Film Company
Office: 625-FILM (3456) Ext 36. Email: jcharles-farray@ttfc.co.tt
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