Roller Skating And Real Life Challenges Spotlighted In Local Film 'That’s Fresh'
It was an exciting evening for movie-goers and local film stars who gathered at MovieTowne Port of Spain on Saturday for the screening of ‘That’s Fresh’, a locally produced film that drew crowds to celebrate authentic talent.
Set in the San Juan/Barataria area, the movie explores themes of gang violence and a passion for roller skating as the main character navigates the tension between the two worlds.
Protagonist of the film, Renaldo Andrews, said the movie is a real-life depiction of a deeper issue that plagues many of our nation’s youths.
« I on two different paths, I want to skate, and I also want to lime with friends, who are gangsters doing all the wrong things, but I am looking for an easy way to make money because my landlord drilling me. He wants me to pay his rent, so I just decide, ‘Boy, I have to think.’ I can’t just rush into something and go and decide to rob. »
Described as more than just a movie, ‘That’s Fresh’ delivered a powerful message to T&T’s youth, highlighting the consequences of one’s choices while offering positive alternatives to challenges.
« I hope that everybody out here is really looking and seeing what is going on in the country right now, and they make a different choice, think about what I am saying because I was going down the wrong road once. At the age of 17, I knew how hard it is to rent, how hard it is to buy something for yourself, right? So I changed. So all this now is to bring the youths and them together and let them see they could make a change in life. »
Director and writer of the film, Roger Brewster, shared the inspiration for the film.
« I used to carry my little daughter to skate, and when I saw Renaldo, he told me, ‘Roger, why you don’t do a roller skating movie?’ So I watched him like this and said, ‘I’ll think about it.’ But when I was watching them little children and them, I said, ‘Not me. I’m not going and fuss with these little children.’ But every time I go and see, I said, ‘Roger, you could help these children and them, you know.’ So I called him and I told him, ‘Get the skaters together, spread the word, and if we see it looking good, then I’ll put them together and then I will get a sponsor,’ and that’s how everything come. »
The movie has been described as ‘the start of something great’, as it aims to make a difference in communities while also spotlighting Trinidad and Tobago’s film industry.
