'Grown Girls Getaway'

Since June 2, President of the Atlanta, Georgia based company Bobbcat Films, Roger Bobb has been in Trinidad with a recognisable US cast and crew producing the made for television movie. Bobb is directing the movie, which is being produced by Angi Bones, executive Vice-President of the Bobbcat outfit. Between them, they have produced 11 box office hits and a number of hit TV shows such as House of Payne and Meet the Browns.

The four actresses playing the film’s leads are the familiar faces Garcelle Beauvais (The Jamie Foxx Show), Terri Vaughn (The Steve Harvey Show), Malinda Williams (Soul Food) and Essence Atkins (Smart Guy). Written by Cas Sigers-Beedles, Grown Girls Getaway is a co-production between Bobb’s BobbCat Films and Siger’s and Vaughn’s Nina Holiday Entertainment. Imagine Media International Limited, headed by Lisa Wickham is the local production company. Wickham, Valencia Hawkins and Sherrese Moise are also co-producers on the film.

Sigers-Beedles, during an interview on set last Friday, said the inspiration for the film came from her actual life. “Prior to getting married, I used to go on trips with my girlfriends. We would go wherever and it was always fun times. It just seems like when you get older and you get married and have kids, things fall apart but you always talk about it. I thought it would be a good movie to have about girlfriends who have always gotten together but whose lives have gone different paths and they haven’t in a while,” she explained. Beauvais’ character, Vicky, broke up with her boyfriend and facing a trip to Trinidad and Tobago alone on her birthday, gathers her girlfriends around her to relive the good old times. The trip, however doesn’t go as planned and the women rely on each other to make it through the vacation.

“It’s a feel good girlfriend movie,” Sigers-Beedles explained. I don’t think we have enough of those in our culture, we don’t have enough movies of African American women on screen much less four of them.”

While the original script was not written with Trinidad in mind, Sigers was able to re-write and adjust the plot to include aspects of Trinidadian culture once the location was scouted and chosen. “I think it is important to make everyone aware of what is happening here because most people only know Trinidad for Carnival. It hasn’t had a true showing,” she explained.

Costume making, doubles eating, limbo and cricket were some of the little ways Trinidad and Tobago were included in the film, aside from the 15 shooting locations that gives the world a glimpse of local life. Local dialect is also used, something Sigers-Beedles depended on the cast and crew to perfect.

“We have a lot of Trinis in the film so when I wasn’t doing something right, they would show me how we should do it,” she explained.

Aside from the fun, the experience has also been a learning one for the writer and other US members of the production. “It has been a surreal experience, a dream come true. The fact that we were able to come here to work with friends and make new friends has made it a great experience. That rainbow we saw seemed divine and that is how the shoot has been.”

She said she was a bit concerned coming to Trinidad, not knowing what to expect in terms of equipment and talent. “We came not knowing the kind of talent there is in Trinidad and it has been a blessing. Hopefully we can share that with the world and attract more work here. Hopefully it is the start of many more projects collaborating with people; either with they going across to the United States or with us coming to Trinidad.”

Serendipitous is what Bobb is calling how everything fell into place for Grown Girls Getaway to take place in Trinidad. After seeing the script for the movie, he knew it was something he had to get involved in. “I am calling this the first black female African American action comedy. When I read it, it was something I have never read before for women of colour so I knew I had to get involved.”

After obtaining financing, the question arose where the film would take place. Moise, who is his good friend and a Trinidadian began telling him of film incentives in this country, which peaked Bobb’s interest.

He met with head of the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, Carla Foderingham in Los Angeles at the end of March this year to discuss the idea of shooting in Trinidad and Tobago. Under the TTFC, international film producers can take advantage of the Production Expenditure Rebate programme that provides cash rebates up to 55 percent on qualifying local labour and 35 percent on other local expenditures.

Within two-three weeks, Bobb and his team were in Trinidad scouting locations and after another few weeks elapsed, the production landed in Trinidad to shoot. “The way locals, the government and producers have helped us, the location, the incentive and the spirit of community made this decision easier,” he explained.

His faith has paid off and Boob is committed to making Trinidad and Tobago one of the premier filming locations. “I’ve had doubles every day. I think I gained ten pounds,” he replied when asked about the production. On a more serious note he added, “This has been 50-50 local and American and everyone is getting along. It has been a fantastic experience. The weather is great, the locations look beautiful. This is the first American television movie shot completely in Trinidad. Even the American locations are shot here,” he said.

Bobb believes he is an “honourary Trini” as the mother of his daughter is Trinidadian and his Guyanese parents visits frequently. He would definitely be back after the three week shoot wraps up next weekend. The movie is expected to premiere in Trinidad and then sold to American television stations Bobb said although his company is still working on that deal, the movie would be on American television by the end of summer.

Wickham, who was also at the meeting between Foderingham and Bobb at the end of March said although her company had only one month to prep for shooting, it has been an exciting experience. Her company was also behind the 2012 Canadian drama film, Home Again, which was filmed here but based in Jamaica.

Home Again had so many local actors but they had to act Jamaican. That was great because it shows the versatility of our talent. But now, we get the opportunity to showcase Trinidad and Tobago and that is the cherry on top. Our actors can be themselves in their own environment,” she explained. She said after Home Again was released, local private companies were more willing to partner with film-makers on their projects. Grown Girls Getaway attracted sponsors like bMobile, Davy Boodoosingh whose companies include Rent-A-Amp, O2 Trailers and Standby Power, Ricky Raghunanan Trailers, Hilton Hotel and Blue Waters. It is also supported by the TTFC, the Customs Division, the Tourism Development Company (TDC), Airports Authority, and the Immigration Division.

“As we develop the industry more and more, we would see that collaboration between private sector and the film industry to help create the foundation to make Trinidad and Tobago the film capital of the Caribbean,” Wickham said. Home Again also stirred up excitement amongst film industry insiders, who she said, experienced a rejuvenation of their interest in film making. “We have people who are striving to improve their game, to increase the standard of their performance. We had people importing equipment that we didn’t have before and people importing various aspects to feed the industry and the more we do that is the more film-makers would take us seriously. For them to come here we have to have the infrastructure in place,” she said.

As mentioned by Sigers-Beedles, talent is another important factor and in this movie, one of Trinidad’s own has the opportunity to shine behind the camera. Sheldon Felix has been given the job as Director of Photography on the film and for him, it is a great opportunity to showcase the country through the eyes of a Trinidadian. “I was born and grew up here so it is great that I have that control to show Trinidad. I would know how to show Trinidad at its best whether the scene is dark and gloomy or bright and sunny. This would be great for our tourism product,” he explained.

Three of the four lead actresses were on the set on Friday and while crew were busily preparing for the limbo scene being shot, the women were seen around the set taking in their surroundings. Before, chatting, Williams took the opportunity to get her feet wet in the surf while posing for some candid pictures. She admits that any chance she is given, she takes to the water because of her love for the beach.

“Essence (Atkins) and I were talking earlier and I was saying this shoot has been one of the more memorable ones I have been capturing a lot of still images with my camera. This is such an amazingly beautiful place and everyone has been so lovely to us. It is a magical place and it feels good to be here.” Williams plays Camille, a married mother of three who sees the trip to Trinidad as an opportunity for her to get away from her life that she does not feel is best for her. At the end, however she realises that she has a good life and that she is being unappreciative of her blessings.

“I can’t relate to the character in that I love my home and I love my life, I love vacation and I love wherever I go. I can relate to the part of her who has chosen to be a mom. I am a career woman and a mother and I believe women can do whatever it is we really want to do,” she said.

The camaraderie between cast and crew is a high point for Williams. “We are in a place giving us so much love so I think we are all appreciating that and asking ourselves, what is there to complain about?”

Beauvais agrees with these sentiments. “We have found a group of people who are working with, some we knew before and some we have just met, and us being able to gel so well, and that we are able to get the work done and have a good time. And when you are working on a beautiful, gorgeous beach in TT who can complain?”

Playing Vicky, Beauvais is able to see similarities in their characters in the importance they each place on friendship. “I have a lot of good friends and we support and uplift each other. I feel like when you have a community around you, you can do anything.”

Aside from the shoot, Beauvais is enjoying her time in Trinidad, including a break in Tobago where she visited the Magdalena Grand.

Atkins plays the free-spirited Lauren who is the secret-keeper of the group. “She is the fun friend, the one with the least things to tie her down. She is the girlfriend you trust. She is the vault and she is able to maintain a great relationship with all the personalities,” she explained.

Of all these characteristics, Atkins can most relate to being the confidante. “My friends know they can trust me with more difficult things or things they struggle with that they don’t want the world to know. Strangers do it too and I find that very odd. I find myself in airports and people telling me deep dark secrets and I’m like, ‘I just said hi, you look nice!’… I feel when it happens I just try to forget what I was supposed to be doing and pay attention to what God is trying to say through that person,” she said.

Atkins has also fallen in love with the warmth she has encountered so far in Trinidad. “I think we are all trying to figure out how we can maintain our life in the States and live here. It is very far from home but it doesn’t feel that way because the people are so inviting and loving. We appreciate it because, we have left our family and it’s hard not seeing them but to see smiling faces; not just the ones being paid, the locals on the beach who see us for the past few days and smile and say good morning and ask how we are doing.”

Opposite the “Grown Girls” is local actress Frances de Lancey who plays Ruth. The graduate of the University of the West Indies Bachelor of Arts in Theatre programme said this is her first large scale film experience. “It has been incredible. I am learning so much on set,” she said as Beauvais chimed in, “and she’s doing a great job!” Being able to adjust the script to include local nuances is one of the things she loves about working in the production.

“In theatre, once we get the script, we have to stick to it but in this movie, when we read through the script, if there are certain things we are not comfortable saying, we can change it around. The writer is here adjusting things to suit so we are able to stay true to ourselves.” The final product, she said would be very local and de Lancey hopes to see herself in future film productions.