BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ‘TEARS of Joy’, a short film based on bullying in schools that was produced and directed right here in St. Kitts and Nevis, has gotten rave reviews since its premiere. But what sparked this idea?
‘Tears of Joy’ was produced by Creative Concepts/TruCapo Productions (St. Kitts-Nevis) and depicts a young girl's battle with bullying. It was made to create awareness about an issue to which many of our children fall victims.
In an exclusive interview with writer, Co-Executive Producer and Co-Director, James Galloway, he told SKNVibes Entertainment that the young and fresh actors were all drawn from the Gingerland Secondary School in Nevis, where the scenes were shot.
“They were all student actors. They were also teachers, including the Vice Principal of the school, and actual teachers were used as teachers in the movie,” Galloway said.
Galloway stated that when Editor, Co- Director and Co-Producer, Nigel ‘Tru Capo’ Lewis brought the idea to him about the movie, he immediately began to write the script for the riveting short film.
“I started to create the characters in my mind with their personalities. I had in mind seven actors. One girl in particular, Neila Jones, who played Joy, she had indicated to me that she actually wanted to be an actress,” he explained.
Galloway said that although Jones had no prior experience in acting, she possessed the qualities and dramatic flair which he believed could have portrayed the character of Joy.
According to the writer, who is a teacher by profession, Deslyn Williams-Johnson who played Joy’s mother is a trained dramatist and current Managing Director of the Nevis Performing Arts Center (NEPAC).
“I knew the students because it was actually my form class. It was a great set of students…very lively, and I felt given the opportunity these students would have pulled it off,” Galloway noted.
He added that initially they were no parts for some of the more than 12 actors, but when the team interacted with the students, within two minutes of meeting Khaila Morton, who plays ‘Samantha’, she was immediately chosen for the part of the bully.
“It was truly one of the best selections,” Galloway said.
According to the writer, the entire production began in January of this year. “What happened is that we were at a mutual friend and Capo said he needed a writer because he wanted to start making movies and I told him I am a writer. So from then conversation began,” Galloway said.
TruCapo, told SKNVibes Entertainment that apart from producing a number of music videos for top artistes in the Federation and some other of his remarkable works, directing movies has always been at the top of his ‘to-do list’.
“Doing a film was actually a goal I had when I started to produce videos. The motivation was always the passion and the craft of the art. That is what motivated me and Galloway,” Lewis said.
Being a teacher for the past three years, Galloway said that his is currently a student at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College.
“I thoroughly enjoy teaching. One of my biggest inspirations for that was Moreen Adams who was an excellent teacher. And just seeing her teaching motivated me. She always told me I would make a good teacher, but I always shied away from it,” he said.
After Adams died a few years ago, Galloway said that he decided to take up the teaching profession.
“I think they teach me as much as I teach them. The school system is interesting because you are looking at a microcosm of society. When you look at it you will see what the society will be like in the next couple of years, because these are the people that will make it up,” Galloway said.
