The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

TRIBUNE Entertainment caught up with the 2013 Bahamas Film Festival (BIFF) filmmakers Andrew Turley and Vijay Subramanian to talk about their latest films. Both artists shared insight about making films with Bahamian themes or backdrops, and spoke about their goals moving forward.

“It’s Better In The Bahamas”

by Andrew Turley

The film begins with an encounter. The filmmaker has travelled to the Bahamas to meet, for the first time, old friends of his grandparents. They are a Haitian-Bahamian family who arrived in New Providence over half a century ago. The film maker’s self-narrative then withdraws from the plot and allows the members of the family to share themselves with the audience.

What inspired the name of the film?
It is almost a question really. The film itself is about a Haitian-Bahamian family and their experience of living in the Bahamas and how it compares to their background in Haiti. The film concerns different generations of Haitian migrants. Some of them are second generation so it speaks on how well integrated they are compared to their parents.

How far do you see this film going?
The film itself was made for the University of Manchester. So it is just a student film. It has been shown previously at a film festival in Czech Republic. I probably won’t take it any further than here. In terms of my career, at the moment I am just making films for charities in London with things to do with Africans and Caribbean migrants.

“Happenstance”

by Vijay Subramanian

A story of two different couples in a disturbed relationship. There is an incident that happens that brings the good person in both relationships together as one.

What was the process like in making, and bringing forth this film?
It is an independent film so I produced everything. It is a ten minute movie and we did it over two and a half months. The entire cast and crew is from the Bahamas. I lived in Nassau for the past two years doing independent photography so that was a good base in which I got into contact with the cast.

Is this your first film, if not how has your film career progressed so far?
This is my first film and the people who have watched it so far have enjoyed it. I want people who see the film to give me their opinions. I see myself doing further films, and I have already started creating other scripts to start in the first week of January.”