By Tanya Batson-Savage, Staff Reporter
Rhone
ONE LOVE written by Trevor Rhone and directed by Rick Elgood and Don Letts (also the directors of Dancehall Queen) is scheduled to be a part of the Films From the South film festival in Oslo, Norway this month.
Eirin Venas (small 'o' over the 'a') Sivertsen, Press co-ordinator for the festival informed The 24-7 that the film would be the opening film as well as be shown twice more during the festival which runs from October 10 to 19.
Sivertsen further informed that the film will open to public viewing in Oslo on October 1 at Oslo Kinematografer.
Last year it appeared that the local film industry was alive with activity and bubbling with possibility. Alas, this year, it appears that all is quiet on the celluloid front. The wagons have gone home leaving nothing but dust behind.
ONE LOVE AND SHOTTAS
Two much talked about movies (One Love and Shottas) were filmed last year. After the travesty of Rude Boy last year, the Shottas prospects slightly dimmed. However, with the lust for guns, drugs and gratuitous violence that passes for entertainment in today's society, it had a very fair chance of success.
Even so all Shotta's dreams seem to have gone up in gunsmoke because all that has materialised are the numerous bootleg tapes (or maybe its the same one) that has been seen by almost everybody and his brother.
The prospects of One Love seemed to be much better however. The Film From the South festival will be its third for the year, having made it into the Cannes Film Festival in May and the Toronto Film Festival last month.
According to one of the film's producers Yvonne Deutchman, the film's debut at Cannes in May, and the showings at The Toronto Film Festival in August have allowed One Love to attract the interest of distributors.
"At the moment we are in negotiations with various North American distributors," Deutchman said, after pointing out that the film's distribution in France, Norway, Germany and Holland is already secure.
Deutchman said she has wanted to produce a film in Jamaica for many years, since her time living here and seeing the release of The Harder They Come and Smile Orange. The producer noted that it was her respect for both films which caused her to approach Trevor Rhone to produce the script.
As yet, Rhone is awaiting concrete critical response to the film. Rhone says that he has heard that the response was good but until he saw, concrete reviews he would not decide whether or not the movie has had a successful introduction to the world. "Until I see lots of reviews I will not be bold to call it critical success," he said. Indeed, reviews of the film from either the Toronto Film Festival or Cannes was hard to find from the Internet.
Despite being hesitant about describing the film as successful, Rhone celebrates its potential. "I think it's on the verge of being a really great film," he said. Rhone is quite proud of the look of the film, which shot in Stony Hill and Portland reportedly contains some interesting vistas of Jamaican scenery. "It looks quite stunning," he said, "and I hope it does a lot for this island of ours."
Deutchman hopes that any international success of One Love will help to boost the confidence of other investors, for future movies.
CO-PRODUCTION TREATY
One Love was created out of a co-production treaty between Norway and the United Kingdom. As such, though the writer is Jamaican, and the film was shot in Jamaica in Stony Hill and Portland, the Norwegians provided technical support. Deutchman noted that when she attempted to get local financing for the film none was to be had. The treaty explains the films debut in Oslo, which is separate from its distribution to the rest of the world.
"Jamaica really needs to invest in itself," Rhone said. "We're really not investing in our people, in our talent at all."
In Jamaica's rather scant film production history, Rhone has been involved in four films. Although he admits that that makes his script writing career a successful one, he does not refrain from criticising the industry.
"Since Harder They Come knocked on the door, we really haven't put in an effort," he said.
