Dear Editor,
I recently saw the movie ‘Guyanese Badness’. It was not what I had expected. The selection of music was good for the storyline, and the characters were easy to follow. The movie is set outside of the city, and stars a lot of young upcoming actors, who get very into their characters. There is a lot of gunplay and some drug use, highlighting some of what needs to be addressed in our society, and this is also stated by the producer at the end of unfinished work released to the public.
The special effects are still developing, and it reminds me of how, as youngsters, we would play war break; but in the movie, the actors are able to take it from that level to a more serious level, that draws the audience into the developing storyline.
The underlying theme is the thirst for money, which reduces the positive impact the movie could have, but the movie has the potential to replicate what Director John Singleton did with Boyz n the Hood.
Singleton was able to show the tragic nature of violence and the strength of possible upliftment, which brought empowerment to succeed by taking a better, nonviolent path. The producer speaks of his interest in taking the movie in this direction, but he also speaks of the unfortunate reality of not being able to complete the production.
It is nice to see the movie industry starting to develop in Guyana, and it is nice to see the emergence of young talent. Slowing down to capture the moment, fleshing out the main storyline, and developing the main characters would help to take such projects to the level of the independent film festival. It’s a great effort, and the more positive the message, the more in sync with the current thrust of Guyanese culture the projects would become.
Keep at it, and congratulations on the large number of views attained in such a short period of time. As actors and filmmakers, you have the opportunity to have a positive impact on where our society goes and what the youths in the country look up to as role models. That’s how important a role the movie industry can play in our country’s future development.
Sidney Poitier was a brilliant example of someone from the Caribbean who used his talents to uplift and strengthen people of colour around the world. Guyana also has the talent and the capability of doing this, if we so choose.
Best regards,
Jamil Changlee
