Cheating exes, juicy family secrets and an impromptu, heated romance. Director, writer and produce Jeremy Whittaker’s Destiny is a minefield scattered with explosive twists and a jumping soundtrack. With the release of the film just days ago, Film Juice’s Janet Leigh hung out with Whittaker and the main cast Lyndon Forte, Sabrina Colie and Karian Sang to talk, crazy directors, music and, of course, Destiny.
You’re here, London. How are you guy’s feeling?
JW – It’s good. We wanted to get it here and do it right. It’s hard enough making a movie. It’s extremely hard making a Caribbean movie. We’re not Hollywood, we realise that, but we just wanted to set a standard for the culture and allow people to appreciate the movie itself and be proud of it.
I’ve heard it’s done really well in Canada and Jamaica. In fact the film has been playing in Jamaica since October…?
LF – Yeah. We premiered in South Florida and we had to turn people back. We were sold out. It played for three weeks. Had a great run.
For some of you guys it was your first time acting. What was that like?
LF – As far as acting, I studied theatre in college a bit but never on film before. This is my first experience on a set, – a major set. Honestly I didn’t expect it to be this big but when we landed in Kingston and saw the multiple trucks and the staff, like a mini army moving around, I realised it was real.
What about you Karian?
KS – I loved it. I loved it. It was the first time anybody ever approached me about doing a film that wasn’t about…things that I wouldn’t want to do [laughs, completely aware of her sultry persona]. When people offered me stuff in the past, I turned it down because I didn’t feel like it fit the kind of person I was, but when I read his script I felt so good and the first time doing it, I fell in love.
Sabrina , this was your first feature length film, were you excited when you first read the script?
SC – When I read the script yes, but when he [Jeremy] first contacted me I was extremely sceptical because I didn’t know what the heck was going on but after yeah, it was like Lyndon said I basically had to show up there to realise this was legitimate.
That’s right, because Jeremy found you through Google…?
SC – Yes he Googled me. He needed someone to look very similar to the leading actor [Karian] so he Googled Jamaican actress and that’s how he found my website. I wasn’t even acting at the time because I went back to school but I thought at I should at least have my website up just in case. But I didn’t expect anything to come out of it.
Did you think the whole thing could be a scam?
SC – *Laughs* but I took the risk anyway.
What kind of director was Jeremy?
LF –He’s hands on, very hands on. This is not a guy who’s stepping back he’s in every step of the process.
Did that give you more faith in the movie, knowing that he was so involved in what he’d created?
LF – It did. Jeremy has a lot of experience in professional film, having worked in it for so long. He knows how to interact and how to make everyone feel very warm and I feel like that has a lot to do with how you come through on film.
SC – The interaction with people is so important and he does a very good job at making people feel welcome and at home. Even when there are things under the radar happening around you, Jeremy manages to make everything feel a bit more balanced.
So were there any tense moments on set?
SC – He’s good at diffusing them. Although there weren’t many tense moments. Everyone pretty much got along, for the most part.
What about the other part?
SC – Nothing’s perfect! People are people.
Jeremy, your team have a very high opinion of you and your attitude on set…
JW –Being a director is a lot of pressure and it’s about how you handle that pressure. I’ve worked with some great directors, but some of them have shocked me with their attitude. I remember being on set in the past thinking wow, when it’s my turn in the chair I hope I don’t scream.
Were you ever tempted?
JW – I actually went into the bathroom. I took myself away from the situation and then grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I yelled it out and came back, so people didn’t really see the frustration.
Music is a big part of the movie…
JW – Absolutely. It was a no-brainer for me. When I decided to make this movie and I decided to make my first feature film in Jamaica I knew I had to have a good sound track. I knew it had to compliment the movie. I knew we had to have two tangible products. The movie and the soundtrack each should have their own legs. We have a great soundtrack, the soundtrack got picked up by Tuff Gong International. The first single [Together Tonight by Bazil] is out now, available on ITunes and the second singles coming out on the 14th of August.
You’ve just recently released an EP called In The Mood. Are there any songs on there that relate to Lisa and her situation?
KS – Yes Runaway. Runaway because I’m very much the type of girl that would run away from a relationship. I wrote a song about what if there was someone who didn’t make you want to run. I’ve never had that so I wrote a song a about it how scary it is but I want to try.
How crazy was the filming process?
KS – Honestly, I didn’t think it would be so back to back to back. When we actually started filming it was so crazy that I was learning my lines after every shoot. I’d get in the car and my producer and my manager would be running lines with me so that by the time I got home I could sleep and then wake up again three in the morning and get back on set.
Lyndon, your character, Michael, has been labelled the bad guy. Is there anything redeemable about him?
LF – Um, no. Not really! He’s just a guy who has everything in life. He has the money, the cars, the women and he has Lisa and it’s pretty much how he reacts when this one thing he cannot have anymore, which is Lisa, which his the one thing he cares about the most. So you have to see how he spirals and reacts. Itt just takes him aback when he can’t have something that he was sure was his.
And have you had any Michael moments in your life?
LF – You know what Michael and I, we’re serious opposites to be honest. He’s not a nice guy. He’s very selfish, he’s very self-centred. He talks down to people, everyone is beneath him.
Karian, you play Michael’s love interest, Lisa, how different are you to her?
KS – Michael did all these things to her and she took it. That wouldn’t be me. I’d be like you messed up I’m gonna talk to you another time, bye. It’ll be over and I’d be joking with someone else. That’s how I am. I don’t stay mad.
Jermey, you referred to this movie as a labour of love, why is that?
JW – It’s like bringing something into this world that wasn’t there before. It’s hard, you go through a gruelling process of making it. Even before that, it’s learning the craft. You really have to take that seriously, which is what I did. It’s been a long journey, I’ve been under the radar for a while and I feel that I’m comfortable in my current position of my career where I feel like I’ve learnt enough so that I could actually make good movie that wouldn’t embarrass me or the people involved with it. It’s my debut feature movie and hopefully it won’t be my last.
