Episode seven of Popdown Podcast is here. K and Romario are joined by Reyda, who is making her podcast debut. This week they’re discussing the recently released Barbadian-UK co-produced film A Caribbean Dream, which is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
If you missed episode 6, listen to it here: Popdown Podcast Episode 6 – 2017 Oscars Predictions.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
So it wasn’t Tom? But it made so much sense that it would be. What with the jealousy toward Frankie for being loved by Cryus and his wanting to get back at his former lover. It fit and it was enough of a motive.
And he was only paid $2 million? Considering that he had to have known that he’d be facing the death penalty for confessing to killing Frankie, $2 million is not nearly enough. In fact, no amount of money would be since he’d be too dead to use it and it’s not like he has anyone to leave it to. Then again, he did say he just wanted to make Cyrus suffer so I guess that was payment enough.
The moment Team Pope started digging to find definitive proof of Tom’s guilt, I suspected this would happen. The only reason that they did was because Huck asked about Jenny and the only reason he asked was because he has a new love interest. I love Huck but it was very creepy how he was watching her in the video and looked at her all enamoured. I did not expect him to go and meet her in person and that made him that much creepier.
She herself is awkward and weird and twitchy, but that could be attributed to her fear of meeting the same fate as Jenny. My question, though, is why she thinks that the people who killed Jenny are coming after her. She seems a bit paranoid? It’s reasonable to be fearful after a colleague was killed I guess, but this feels like an irrational fear to some degree. The only reason she would need to be afraid of that is if she was in on the thing with Jenny. I don’t get that impression, but for all we know she could be involved with whoever is behind all of this.
I did think – two episodes ago – that there was a mysterious third party that was framing Cyrus (and at the time Nelson). Honestly, who hates Cyrus so much that they would do this to him? I can’t think of anyone at all. Is their main target Cyrus or is he just collateral damage? This whole plot/conspiracy seems to target Cyrus.
His prison experience was absolutely terrible. I felt so sorry for him watching him crumble into this broken man.
I knew the guard was going to use him as his “oval.” He’d said before that there were people in there who wanted to harm Cyrus because of Frankie and then Cyrus told him that he needed to offer the people for whom he’d been smuggling drugs something they wanted more. It lined up perfectly.
I did not expect Cyrus to go after Tom. I didn’t think he was that desperate to get him to recant his confession. I truly thought that he had given up and was going to kill himself. The way I saw the episode unfolding was that Cyrus would kill himself and the news from Team Pope that Tom was innocent would reach him too late. But I should have known Cyrus better than that. Of course he would fight.
I’m disappointed in Liv, as I have been this whole season thus far, for not helping him. She could have but she didn’t want to. She did have a point though that sooner or later he would need to pay for all of the things he had done. But she herself is no innocent little angel.
Random thoughts:
Scandal returns next Thursday at 9 PM on ABC.
A Caribbean Dream is a romantic comedy drama adapted from William Shakespeare’s A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream. The film was written and directed by Shakirah Bourne – the writer of Two Smart and Pay Day – and adapted by Bourne and Melissa Simmonds, who was also a producer of the film. This adaptation of the well-known narrative is set in contemporary Barbados.
In this story, Hermia (Marina Bye) is set to wed to Demetrius (Sam Gillett), but she is in love with Lysander (Jherad ‘Lord Zenn’ Alleyne). Hermia’s father, Egeus, brings them before Theseus, who is to preside over the conflict. He rules that if Hermia does not marry Demetrius, she must forfeit her inheritance. Meanwhile, Helena (Keshia Pope) is in love with Demetrius, who will not even give her the time of day.
In the world of the Fairies, Oberon (Adrian Green), wants a little boy – who is in the possession of Titania (Susannah Harker) – to be his henchman. Having been refused the boy, Oberon has Puck (Patrick Michael Foster) retrieve a flower which he then uses to place a spell on Titania. Seeing the conflict among Lysander, Demetrius, Helena and Hermia, Oberon sends Puck to use the spell on Demetrius so that he will fall in love with Helena. However, Puck puts the spell on Lysander, making him fall in love with Helena and thus causing a host of confusion.
The most Barbadian element of the narrative is the re-imagination of the Craftsmen from the original play as fishermen from Six Men’s Bay, who seek to perform a play – King Ja Ja and Becka – to win the talent competition put on by Theseus.
My expectation was that the adaptation would not merely be set in present day Barbados, but that it would embody what can be considered “the lived experience of Barbados.” This was the impression I got from all of the promotional media; especially as the promotion features the song “Real Real Bajan” by AzMan. It would seem, however, that this was not the director’s vision.
A Caribbean Dream indeed contains markers of being in Barbados such as the inclusion of Bajan dialect, Fore-day Morning, Bajan music and the fishermen with their King Ja Ja play. Although the Barbadian elements do not seem like an afterthought, they do feel shoe horned into the film; causing their impact to be superficial as opposed to being an integral part of the narrative. Thus, they do not mesh tremendously smoothly with the elements that are lifted from the original play.
For example, the insertion of Fore-day Morning celebrations into the narrative feels tremendously forced. There is no motivation for the characters being there beyond the script saying that they should be – or perhaps it was there to show off the island. The film is really just the traditional play on screen, but delivered very cinematically. It appears that the goal was to present a beautiful visual experience in a magical world set in Barbados with the enchantment of the Shakespearean English; it was not to be a reimagining.
As expressed by Bourne at the preview of this film held during the Barbados Independent Film Festival, the film seeks to make the narrative accessible primarily to students whom would likely be doing the CXC. With that as the intent, I believe the film is successful and justifies the use of Early Modern English; which makes up the majority of the dialogue. I believe, however, that there will be some disconnect with the general viewing audience because of the use of the original language. You can follow what is happening for the most part, but at other instances, by the time you’ve translated one piece of dialogue, two or three other lines have passed and you are left a little bewildered.
When the film started, I was very captivated by the pristine visuals and sound mix. However, as it progressed, this captivation wore off as I laboured to follow the narrative because of the language. It is for this reason I believe that the film did not illicit a rife of laughter from the audience throughout the film, as most of the comedy comes from the dialogue in Shakespeare’s play.
There are moments of laughter, but those moments mostly hit the audience through the actions of the characters. The most engagement from the audience is the King Ja Ja and Becka play at the end put on by the very Bajan fishermen. That group was a great ensemble played by Simon Allyene, Angelo Lascelles, Ishiaka McNeil, Matthew Murrell and Lorna Gayle, who is from the UK.
The acting in this film is some of the best – if not the best – put to screen for a Barbadian produced film. The cast, composed of Barbadian and British talent, delivered remarkable performances.
My personal favourite was the Barbadian actor Patrick Michael Foster. His delivery reminded me that the work I was watching was Shakespeare, when other moments in the film lacked that magic. Watching this adaptation, one might forget the original play was written as beautiful poetry. It feels as though the cutting down of lines was so utilitarian that the spirit of the aesthetic of the original verse was lost.
I felt a little disappointed at the lack of rhythm and rhyme from the writing and line delivery. Rhythm and rhyme is what makes Shakespeare an enchanting experience! To have fallen there is to remove, in my opinion, the essence of his work. I’m not sure if it was irresponsible writing, rushed acting, or unfamiliarity with the heart of the content, but there is a lack in the film. Foster, however, masterfully injected that rhythm and rhyme. He truly is a superb actor and he reminded me that this is poetry.
On the other hand, the performance of Keshia Pope lacks authentic delivery. Throughout the film, it seems like she doesn’t really understand what it is that she is saying. While her delivery does not particularly lack inflection, every line seems to be delivered with the same emotion of a begging child. Indeed, Helena’s character is an emotional wreck for not being able to have the love of Demetrius, but I do not believe that everything Helena says will continually take on a whiney inflection or cadence.
The technical execution of this film is very good. The cinematography is beautiful throughout. It really does sell the magical vision of the director. It is the most fantastic production design work of any Barbadian produced film. Of particular note is the makeup of the character Bottom when she is transformed into a Black Belly Sheep. I loved the costuming; particularly of the fairies in the forest, as it is inspired by Kadooment/Carnival themes in addition to emanating that sense of a magical experience. The only costume that felt out of place to me was Oberon’s; I just kept seeing Adrian Green in green papier-mâché.
I can objectively say that this film is the best sound mix and edit of any feature length Barbadian produced film. Additionally, I loved the music of the film; great work from Andre Woodvine, as usual. The song ‘Real Real Bajan’ by AzMan was stuck in my head long after watching the film…but I found it a very oxymoronic song to be used for the start and ending of this film.
A Caribbean Dream is the most technically proficient Barbadian film to date. However, it is not particularly authentic to the lived experience of Barbados, although it advertises itself that way. I don’t feel as though this film will be held up as the quintessential Barbadian film narrative; that film is yet to be made. Will it be commercially successful? Maybe. But with great distribution and marketing overseas. Not because it will not be liked here in Barbados, but because of math and its slightly-over-one-million-dollar budget.
I left the film feeling like I had an enchanted visual experience, but confused as to why anything that happened occurred the way it did. For example, in the original play Theseus is a Duke, so we understand to some degree where his authority to determine that Hermia can lose her inheritance (or her life in the original play) comes from. In this film, he is just a third party; we have no idea of who he is really.
Nonetheless, I loved watching this film. The language was a challenge, but the film was a magical ride and not particularly pretentious – for those two hours, it’s a fun show for anyone.
You can watch A Caribbean Dream at Limegrove Cinemas and Olympus Theatres until March 7th.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
For this week’s challenge the girls acted as Rimmel London ambassadors. They were given specific make-up looks to do on each other as well as information on the products. As they applied the make-up, they had to speak about the products.
India just freaked out and never regained her composure. She kind of crashed before she even started. Coryanne did very well. She was conversational and personable and spoke about the product with confidence and ease. Tatiana was a little too professional. She knew her stuff and was informative, but she lacked personality. She wasn’t warm and inviting; she was a little too deliberate. Courtney was doing so well before Rita asked her a question! Which made her statement about doing well when put on the spot so not true.
Coryanne won the challenge, obviously, and picked India – her partner during the challenge – to share in her prize. Something that Tatiana looked to be fairly upset about. Coryanne’s solo prize was make-up from Rimmel London and their shared prize was visits from their mothers.
The girls did another video shoot this week and this time it was a Rimmel London commercial.
Tatiana and India breezed through their takes on set; they made it look effortless and easy and they performed very well. Courtney and Coryanne, on the other hand, struggled. I’m surprised that Coryanne struggled because she’s naturally youthful and bubbly and I thought she’d be able to deliver that with ease.
I liked Tatiana’s commercial; she was youthful and playful and shined on screen. My only gripe is how she delivered “Get the London look.” Coryanne’s was far better than her performance on set led me to believe it would be. She was cute and approachable and I loved how she looked back before getting into the phone booth.
India’s was awesome as well. There was a bit of sexy there, when she got into the phone booth, that I didn’t see in the others’ commercials. My favourite part was when she was dancing in the rain. She was energetic and magnetic. I disagree with Rita about Courtney’s being flat. Her walk to the booth lacked energy, but she came alive during the dance sequence. She looked stunning throughout and I liked it.
Of course India was called first, there was no question. What was shocking was Coryanne being in the bottom two. I knew that Courtney would be there and that she would be going home because her critique from the judges was not as favourable as that of the other girls.
Random thoughts:
The season finale of America’s Next Top Model airs next Wednesday at 10 PM on VH1.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
This week the girls did an acting challenge. They had to connect with a memory of loss and use the resulting emotion in their acting, which they did alongside Adrienne C. Moore from Orange is the New Black
Tatiana wasn’t terrible, certainly not the worst actress in the history of this show but she failed to connect. I could really see India trying to act, but I didn’t hate it. She sold it with her facial expressions to me but not so much with her delivery. Cody wasn’t bad. Courtney was awesome! I was wary of her confidence given the last episode, but she did really well and I was pleasantly surprised. Coryanne didn’t start off that great, she kind of sucked. But she really brought it in the end and was impressive.
The girls did a video shoot instead of a photoshoot this week and they had to bring the crazy in only one take.
On set Courtney was beautiful and almost ethereal and she brought a lot of emotion to her performance while maintaining her pretty. Cody looked like she didn’t know what she was doing, was awkward and didn’t look pretty at all. India was a victim of circumstance, but I think she did well in pulling it together and pushing through to continue. Tatiana didn’t bring the crazy. She was too pretty throughout and didn’t look like she trying, like she gave up before she even started. Coryanne did very well with the acting but did not model.
As for the final videos, India’s turned out a lot better than I expected it would. I really liked it. It was raw and visceral. Cody’s was not as much of a mess either and her final shot was stunning. Courtney’s final shot, on the other hand, was not as good as some of her still photos, but she looked very pretty, her video was evocative and like Rita said she didn’t overact. There was beauty in Coryanne’s video but it wasn’t fashion. Something about Tatiana’s didn’t work for me. She looked kind of lost.
I would have sent home Tatiana and not Cody simply because her video didn’t illicit anything from me and she didn’t perform the task that she was given. Plus, Cody’s overall body of work, to me, far exceeds Tatiana’s.
Random thoughts:
America’s Next Top Model airs Wednesdays at 10 PM on VH1.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
Cody and Tash…What were you thinking? It was kind of embarrassing how they aired their grievances with each other in front of Rita. I agree with the other girls; that was not the time or place. I would have been angry and uncomfortable as well. I get that she had gone to the house to get to know the girls better, but Rita was still someone with whom they had a professional relationship and they crossed a line. That was unprofessional and far too personal. Rita didn’t seem too bothered by it though.
This weeks challenge was short and pretty simple. All the girls had to do was walk through some paparazzi and basically treat it like a photoshoot. The prize for the challenge was a trip to Universal Orlando.
Cody looked cool and effortless in her photo. Coryanne looked a little derpy and her face was too “posed” for it to look natural. Tash’s was cute and fun. I loved India’s because she made a funny face and showed personality. Courtney’s was fabulous; she looked like a model working the runway. Tatiana looked confident.
Courtney won the challenge and chose India to accompany her and here the claws came out. There was no need for the other girls to be so mean about Courtney’s win and to say that she was right in choosing India because she’s the only one who could pretend to like her for an extended period was a low blow. It wasn’t even true because India herself said later in the episode that she likes Courtney. They just looked like petty bitches by celebrating her absence.
For the photoshoot the girls shot a cover for Paper Magazine.
During the shoot, Tash’s hand thing was awkward. I don’t think she really understood what a beauty shoot meant but she got better after she stopped doing it. Cody looked flawless. I loved Coryanne’s styling and couldn’t really see what Drew was saying about her face looking old. She looked a lot better, though, when she widened her eyes. Tatiana did okay. India was fierce as usual. Courtney did not change her face at all. Her assertion that beauty is her forte…She didn’t really prove that.
Moving onto the final photos, I really liked Courtney’s cover shot; she looked strong, intense and androgynous (very reminiscent of Andreja Peijic). Coryanne looked like a diva but that may have had more to do with the styling. Her face was fine but there really wasn’t anything behind the eyes for me. Cody was stunning! Perhaps the most beautiful I’ve ever seen her. There was a radiance there that drew me in.
Tash wasn’t so great; her photo didn’t look like a cover or like she was modelling. Her face was soft and pretty though. India was, again, fierce! Her photo was amazing and I could not find enough words to express exactly how much. Tatiana’s didn’t look like her really. It was kind of melancholy and subdued. It was very different from the other girls’. I don’t hate it but I don’t love it either.
I’m shocked that Courtney was in the bottom two. For me the bottom two should have been Tash and Coryanne, but even in that scenario I would have made the same decision the judges did and sent Tash home.
Random thoughts:
America’s Next Top Model airs Wednesdays at 10 PM on VH1.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
Now that we’ve had an episode from a perspective other than David’s, we’re starting to get some answers and, dare I say, learn the “truth” – the most illusive thing in this entire series thanks to David’s mental instability. But these answers, as answers tend to do, only lead to more questions.
Like: Who the hell is Benny? Why did the Devil With The Yellow Eyes replace him with Lenny in David’s memories? Was Lenny even real?
We don’t know the full extent of David’s powers so for all we know, she was something that he manifested into the real world. Who knows? I do think that she was real since Syd acknowledged killing her when she was in David’s body. I can’t really be sure though. But I am positive that the Lenny that David has been seeing since her death, is not the Lenny that we met when she was alive.
I was wondering why David didn’t run into the Devil With The Yellow Eyes when he left Oliver’s ice room, since he was told that it was looking for him. I wasn’t surprised when Lenny appeared afterward because that’s a regular occurrence at this point. It wasn’t until the end of the episode that I realised that he had, in fact been found by the Devil With The Yellow Eyes; it was Lenny.
Lenny has been the Devil With The Yellow Eyes all along! Or rather, the Devil With The Yellow Eyes has been masquerading as her since her death. And this was only reinforced by his face slowly being superimposed on top of hers when she triggered David out of the astral plane. And even further still with the final shot of the episode when it’s hand appeared on David’s left shoulder, followed quickly by a smirking Lenny on his right.
I did not see that coming at all.
It makes sense then that the two memories it’s trying to keep from David – and by extension Syd and company – are the ones it would overwrite and insert her into. But why do that at all? Why change the person in the memory to begin with? I also think that the Devil With The Yellow Eyes was his dog King (which makes it that much creepier and scarier that it’s been with him since he was a child and habitually takes on the form of something or someone he cares for and is attached to).
That then begs the question of why it would bother to present itself as both a friend and a monster? Why not stick to just one? It all ties back Oliver’s empathy and fear comment. It’s attacking him on both fronts.
As to Oliver, I wish we’d spent more time with him. He’s funny and charming and his rapport with David was hilarious and entertaining. He’s quite the character. I’m curious as to how he knows so much about David and if he does, I believe he knew exactly which Melanie David was referring to. I wonder if David can get him out of the astral plane.
As soon as I questioned how it is that Cary and Kerry are the same person of the same age but look decades apart, Melanie answered by explaining that she only ages when she leaves Cary.
I didn’t understand Cary/Kerry’s story at all, only because of how it started. Did I hear wrong or did they say that Kerry was born first and Cary was born nine months later? Immediately after that they said that Cary thought he’d imagined Kerry, but how could that be if they both existed as separate beings for a time?
I should have known from the moment they gave their back story and Cary asked what would happen to Kerry if he died that something bad would happen to her. I don’t want to say she’s dead yet because we have to wait until next week to see but I’m also hoping that she’s not. I really like her. I was confused as to why she got her ass handed to her so easily when she was kicking ass only moments before.
Random thoughts:
Legion airs Wednesdays at 10 PM on FX.
A Caribbean Dream is a Barbadian/UK co-produced film, which is an adaptation of the Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shot on location at Fustic House in St. Lucy, the film features both local and British talent in front of and behind the camera. It tells the story of four young lovers, a disagreement between a fairy king and queen and five fishers from Six Men’s Bay who are to perform the play King Jaja and Becka.
Producer Melissa Simmonds and writer-director Shakirah Bourne spoke to use about the film.
1. What inspired you to make a Bajan film adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
Melissa Simmonds: I was invited to Fustic House in 2013 by a friend and as I was being given a guided tour of the grounds, I just started to visualise it. Having lived in both countries [Barbados and England] for over 20 years, I knew how the traditional tale could be [re- imagined] here. I also had a theatre company here called The Gale Theatre of London and Barbados and so I was very familiar with the Barbadian actors and I knew how the film could be cast.
2. Was Shakirah your first choice for writer and director?
MS: Yes Shakirah was my first choice for writer as I had read her collection of short stories and knew her style and vernacular and that she would bring out the humour of the piece perfectly. I think if Shakespeare could look down he would love her screenplay. As a director I was not familiar with her work but then I was a first time producer and I figured as the writer she was [a] good choice as director. This has been a huge learning curve for us all in first time positions but Shakirah has always done what’s best for the film and this I respect enormously. Shakirah is a huge talent and a passionate film maker.
3. When you were approached to write and direct A Caribbean Dream, were you hesitant to accept or did you say yes immediately?
Shakirah Bourne: This was the biggest film project I have done to date, and my first as a hired director, so I did have to give it some thought before I committed.
4. What was your approach to adapting A Midsummer Night’s Dream into a Bajan film; how did you go about “bajanising” it?
SB: When I was hired, the producer Melissa Simmonds already had the core set of [adaptation] ideas for the movie: the Fustic House location, the idea for the film to be set during [Crop Over], and during a full moon with the fairies being household staff during the day. It was my job to flesh out the script and so I would have brought different ideas on how to make it Bajan. For example, in the original play Bottom is transformed into a donkey, but in the adaptation she is transformed into a sheep. We included some Caribbean Folklore – Papa Bois, Wata Mama etc and then elements of calypso and spouge. Instead of acting the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, the fishermen created a new play “The Untold of Story of King Ja Ja and Young Becka.” I don’t want to give any more spoilers but basically I tried to keep the essence of the Shakespeare with Barbadian nuances.
5. What was the most difficult thing about adapting the text?
SB: Understanding the old English lol I actually had to read the English and Shakespeare version of the play.
6. Was the plan always to have this film be a Barbadian-UK co-production? How did that come about?
MS: Yes, always the plan; that’s my trademark. I have lived in both countries all [of] my life and I love uniting the talent but only where I feel I have to. At the time I felt it crucial a UK DOP [Director of Photography] and Sound person were involved and then we needed white actors as I could not find the right ones here.
7. What was the budget for the film?
Low budget but not micro budget.
8. How did you go about finding actors for the film; what was the casting process like?
MS: I had them all in mind from long ago and did a workshop for Shakirah very early on so she could see what I was thinking and with the UK ones we filmed and sent her the link for approval.
SB: Some of the actors were already on board before I was hired. Melissa had worked with Jherad Alleyne, Simon Alleyne, Levi King and many other Bajan actors in theatre, and always knew they were right for the parts. I was in total agreement having worked with them in film. There were Barbadian and UK auditions to fill the rest of the roles, and we had support from Casting Barbados for secondary roles.
9. As the director, what was your vision for the film and how did you get the best performances from your actors?
SB: Although it was a Shakespeare story and language, I wanted the Barbadian identity to shine through. This is why I instructed actors to make the language their own – think about how you would say the sentence in Bajan – including the sighs, the ‘cha’, the stupses [Barbadian parlance for sucking one’s teeth], the rhythm and the tone, and do that with the Shakespeare. It had [to] sound natural and believable, as if they were born saying “thou” and “art.”
10. Why did you decide to have some characters speak Early Modern English and some characters speak Bajan? Why not modernise the language and have the entire cast speak the same way?
MS: Very important to me as a producer to have a combination of both; with this adaptation you have the collaboration of two cultures. The Shakespeare and all [of] the Barbadian folklore, setting and vernacular but no so strong a dialect that it can’t be understood around the world. My sole aim as a Producer has been to make something that will sell internationally so we can get the Bajan talent out there!
SB: Initially, I wanted to completely transform the language but when I heard actors speaking the Shakespeare with the Bajan dialect at a workshop, I found it hilarious. Also, having the Shakespearean language serves as an educational tool for students studying the play, where they can learn the speeches and quotes.
The difference in language was also used as a way to highlight the echelons. In the original play, the story was told between royalty and their subjects. This adaptation highlights the happenings of the upper class socialites on the mansion on the hill, and then of the local fishermen relaxing on the beach. In Barbados, the language is always spoken differently depending on the context and situation.
11. Why did you choose to shoot at Fustic House in St. Lucy?
MS: I was led there by the universe and it’s a film-maker’s paradise. From the minute I showed it to Shakirah and to Robin Whenary the DOP who [sic] she chose, they both were inspired. It’s [a] very inspirational setting. From a practical [POV] it was good too as we could all be under one roof.
SB: Again, this location was on board long before I was. Melissa Simmonds was inspired by Fustic House to do a film adaptation of the play. The architecture designed by Oliver Messel – one of [the] UK’s most prominent stage designers of [the] 20th century. On the property, there is a pool and swamp, an Amerindian cave, and grounds for [a] forest, which we all utilised in the movie. It was beautiful and convenient. We only had to leave the location a few times to shoot scenes at the Airport, St Andrew’s Church, and Six Men’s [Bay].
12. How long did filming take and what was the experience on set like?
MS: We shot in 3 weeks and it was not easy as it’s [sic] primarily night shoots. The first night it poured with torrential tropical rain and we all ran for cover under a tiny tent, protecting expensive equipment. I went out the following day to hire a proper canvas marquee for future down pours but it never rained again like that. It did rain of course a bit on and off [throughout] and that was always a challenge for crew but I consider that first night a rain blessing. Many of the female team had worked in film before but never in the roles they had on A Caribbean Dream, so it was a learning curve for us all. That’s life. We did it together and we made it happen.
SB: It was approx [sic] 3 weeks of chaotic madness. We shot during Crop Over so we had to deal with noise from nearby parties and bad karaoke. [There] was a lot of rain which delayed shooting and caused equipment failure, even a small earthquake (though we didn’t feel it) and [a] tsunami warning. Even on the final day, trying to get shots over drunk revellers at Foreday [M]orning was a challenge.
13. Were there any notable changes made between pre-production, production and post-production?
MS: Yes [during pre-production] our budget jumped hugely and I nearly shelved the film. Post we did lots of pick up shots to fill in the sense of time passing and in post change was constant. You make or break a film in post and I unlocked the film 3 times to get it to where it is now but I am an obsessive and I was lucky to have a director who let me do this but also the circumstances were not normal ones. Shakirah was in Bim [local nickname for Barbados] and I was in [the] UK where post was happening so it was very collaborative and [trans-atlantic] and could not have been made outside [of] the digital age!
SB: Plans were in place for this film to happen for long time. I can’t think of any significant changes at the moment.
14. What was your favourite and least favourite thing about working on the film?
MS: None of [it’s] been easy for me as I am [a] first time producer. The best thing so far was being nominated for [the] London Indie [A]wards and [the] LA Indie [A]wards and getting into [the] Charlotte Black Film Festival but I won’t be happy till [sic] we have sold it and made money otherwise we can’t make more films. I loved seeing the cast come alive in their roles and I loved seeing the colour [palette] work with Leandro Soto’s superb costumes against the green foliage backdrop of the Fustic [H]ouse grounds.
SB: My favourite thing was being able to work with [a] local and international cast and crew, and being able to stay in a beautiful and magical place like Fustic House.
My least favourite thing would probably be constrictions due to time and budget.
15. What was it like having the film previewed at the Barbados Independent Film Festival?
MS: That was just timing as we were not ready for the BFVA [The Barbados Film and Video Association’s Barbados Film and Visual Media Film Festival] and the BIF [Barbados Independent Film Festival] had popped up out of the blue but I am very supportive of Sir Trevor Carmichael as he supported me with the Gale Theatre company. BIF was serendipity but we hope to be screened in the BFVA this year too.
SB: Home drums always beat first for me. It was a gorgeous and new venue, it was sold out, and there was a good response from the audience. I couldn’t ask for much more.
16. Where do you think this film stands in relation to all other Barbadian films and what impact do you think it will have on the industry?
MS: I have not seen all [of the] other Barbadian films so I can’t answer you honestly. [We] are just glad to be part of the emerging film industry in Barbados and I want to sell it so we can make more. The judge of that will be the festivals and the sales and the audiences. Let’s see[.]
SB: The film is of high quality, and very ambitious – being a fantasy and using special effects makeup and costuming. We have a few filmmakers who already experiment with using special effects, and creating films in this genre, but the content is always limited due to budgetary restraints. I’m hoping that the film will inspire even more ambitious films/stories, and that they will have support – both from funding institutions and audiences, to reach the screen.
17. What is your ultimate goal for this film? What do you want audiences to take away from it, particularly Bajan audiences?
MS: To sell it so we can make more films and see the Bajan talent on an international platform. There are some things you can’t control and I don’t mind what people take away from it…some will love it and some won’t but for me it’s a small step in embracing each [other’s] cultures. When we live in such a racist world with the likes of Trump in power I would hope this film with its mixed race themes reaches out in a positive way.
SB: To continue to show that Barbadians can create world-class content. I want the audience to appreciate the film, and continue to feel the need to tell their own stories and support local filmmakers.
18. What’s the next step for A Caribbean Dream?
MS: For Caribbean Film Productions Ltd is the company that made A Caribbean Dream[,] I would like to develop two more films; A Caribbean comedy and A Caribbean Ghost story and then shoot back to back in 2020.
SB: The producers are working on international distribution right now.
19. What’s next for you?
MS: Do nothing. Try to earn some money from my other business which I have neglected for three years. Myself and Lynette Eastmond have worked on sweat equity but this is what you do on your first film.
SB: Last year I focused on stage plays, and this year I want to focus on novel writing. In terms of film, I’ve been in meetings with a few other film producers to discuss future projects, along with my own projects with Bajans In Motion. It’s all at the stage where we’re seeking funding to move forward.
A Caribbean Dream is currently showing at Limegrove Cinemas and Olympus Theatres until March 7th.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
This episode flew by. I was surprised when it ended because it didn’t feel like much time had passed at all. We continue our journey into David’s memories, this time with Syd in tow. Melanie had the brilliant idea of mildly sedating David since his memories were very obviously guarded and his defenseless mind is quite a place.
It seems like my suspicions that the Devil With The Yellow Eyes is the gatekeeper of David’s memories were correct. The moment that Melanie, Wallace and Syd followed David into Poole’s office and he started stealing the tape recordings of his sessions, it appeared.
Syd was the only one who could see what was happening and I suspect this is because she was David in the first episode. Just like earlier, when they visited his memory of the kitchen incident, neither Melanie nor Wallace could see it. I find it interesting that even when they’re in David’s mind they can’t see his “hallucinations.”
The more that the Devil With The Yellow Eyes tries to keep them from David’s memories, the more I want to see them. I really want to know what’s on those tapes, what happened in his therapy sessions with Poole and what makes the kitchen incident so significant.
I’m pretty sure Poole is dead, just because of that one shot of David eating the tapes with blood on his face and the shot from the last episode of Poole with his face covered in blood. As I said in the last recap, I think that the Devil With The Yellow Eyes killed Poole and it did because Poole knew something it doesn’t want known.
I’m not sure if it was chasing little David or Syd. I think that it makes more sense that it was after Syd since she is an intruder. And it did attack Melanie with The World’s Angriest Boy in the World. It also pushed them out of David’s memories earlier when they tried to find out what triggered the kitchen incident. Right after Melanie said David had felt trapped in fact. Every time they get close, it fights back.
It’s clear that sedating David was a terrible idea. I knew that the second Melanie suggested it. I knew it would be dangerous for Melanie, Wallace and Syd but I didn’t expect it to be for David himself. It appears that he’s trapped in his head with all of his personalities bombarding him.
We didn’t see much of Amy’s torture at the hands of Division 3, thankfully, beyond a quick shot of her with leeches on her body while David was watching her. I don’t think that Division 3 really thinks that she has any idea of where David is. They couldn’t. It would be nonsensical to think so. But I guess they figured it wouldn’t hurt to try? I don’t think it’s part of using her as bait. All they needed to do was capture her.
Her interrogation did reveal something I hadn’t thought of; that she always had an inkling that David had powers and was not insane. As his sister, she would have spent more time with him during their childhood than most other people and thus, she would have a better understanding – as far as a child can understand these things – of what was going on with him, having been a witness.
Random thoughts:
Legion airs Wednesdays at 10 PM on FX.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
It’s only been two episodes, but so far so very, very good. This episode was just as engrossing as the first. It was not as confusing, but I did find myself lost a couple of times just because I wasn’t sure if we were in a memory/flashback or not. But that resolved itself quickly.
I
really liked taking a trip down memory lane with David, although it took a dark turn. I’m curious as to why we weren’t shown his “father’s” face (I don’t think that character will be Charles since, from what little I know of the comics, Charles didn’t know he existed), but even more intriguing is why David couldn’t. He said his “father” had died only a year before so I would think he knew what he looked like. Granted, he did say he was in the hospital at the time of his death but his “father” would have visited him the same way his sister did, right?
The plot thickens!
I’m surprised to learn that David was friends with Lenny before they were committed and that they did drugs. I thought they only suffered from mental illness, but it makes sense that they would do drugs since people with mental illness do sometimes self medicate. I wonder if they were admitted together and what the circumstances surrounding their admittance were.
When Lenny first showed up, I thought she was another one of his Dead Lenny hallucinations (Can I even call her that? I’m sure she’s real.). But it didn’t make sense given where he was then and where he’d been before, hence my aforementioned confusion.
I’m also curious about why Wallace couldn’t go to David’s memory of the kitchen incident and why the door in his childhood memory closed on its own. I’m guessing that was one of David’s other personalities keeping him out. I’m thinking that it’s the Devil With The Yellow Eyes that’s responsible, but we don’t really know yet if it’s real or not or what its purpose is. For all we know (those of us unfamiliar with the comics, that is) it could be totally benevolent and just butt ugly.
I did expect it to attack David’s therapist when he went to close the door, but then nothing happened. Later on, however, there’s a shot of the therapist with a bloody face so maybe something did.
Is David’s recollection of nothing happening fake? Was the therapist really attacked by the Devil With The Yellow Eyes (or whatever was behind the door)? Or was it David but he overwrote the memory? Was it another personality entirely that took over? Was there even something behind the door to begin with? There are so many possibilities!
I’m a little worried about his sister being in the hands of Division 3. They need to rescue her ASAP. I do think that David needs to get better at understanding and controlling his powers before undertaking anything of the sort, but they could send a team that doesn’t include him to get her. Like Syd, I don’t believe they’ll kill her but that doesn’t mean they won’t hurt her in some way.
Random thoughts:
Legion airs Wednesdays at 10 PM on FX.