In the vibrant landscape of Sint Maarten’s burgeoning film industry, “The Wonderful Counsellor” emerges as a significant cultural artifact, offering both entertainment and a deep exploration of mental health. This project represents a labor of love and resilience, crafted by a dedicated local cast and crew.
At its heart, “The Wonderful Counsellor” tells the story of Dr. Michael Williams, a psychologist grappling with both professional and personal challenges. The narrative is enriched by his journey of self-discovery and the support of those around him, highlighting the complexities of mental health within the unique context of Sint Maarten. With conservative values at his core, Dr. Williams navigates a landscape where traditional therapy meets the evolving needs of his community, inadvertently becoming a viral sensation that challenges his perceptions.
Through its compelling characters and local authenticity, this film aims to destigmatize seeking help for mental health issues, emphasizing the importance of cultural relevance in therapy. The narrative style blends drama with light humor, bringing a relatable and heartfelt story to life.
“The Wonderful Counsellor” also stands as a testament to the power of community and collaboration, produced on a ‘sweat equity’ budget where passion and dedication replaced financial resources. This journey, filled with challenges from cast migration to the logistical hurdles of independent filmmaking, underscores the resilience and creativity of Sint Maarten’s artistic community.
This film not only tells a story but also serves as a catalyst for change, fostering a more open dialogue around mental health and the power of local storytelling.
We had a chat with Director Peter Sagnia.
Can you give us a synopsis of “The Wonderful Counsellor” and what inspired you to create this film?
The Wonderful counsellor is about Dr. Michael Williams, a psychologist who runs a practice that is struggling to get new clients and keep the ones he currently has. His traditional approach as a therapist, and his conservative values, have made it difficult for him to connect with people, especially on the island of Sint Maarten where he finds it difficult for people to open up about their mental issues.
His Wife Chloe is a successful Coffee shop owner. However, she’s unhappy in her marriage due to the difficulties with Michael’s practice, and unwillingness to try new methods. Amanda is the Office manager, whose husband turned the practice over to Michael, but she has stayed on to make sure the legacy continues. She’s passionate about it succeeding. She wants the practice to become more geared to an online audience.
After Chloe suggests a divorce, Michael records his feelings and accidentally posts it online. The video becomes Viral and Chloe is not too happy. The project will have a feature film version for a local premiere and an episodic version when released for streaming platforms.
What themes or messages are you hoping to convey through this movie?
I would like this project to help remove the fear or stigma of getting help from a therapist. The lead character Dr. Wonder is also a counsellor that has strong conservative and Christian values, so he tries to take this approach when dealing with his patients.
How does “The Wonderful Counsellor” reflect or differ from the typical film projects we’ve seen from you in the past?
Well, this one is different because the entire cast and crew is 100% local with the exception of one of the screenwriters. We had 2 screenwriters in the very beginning, the first one was from Sint Maarten and then she introduced us to the other one Diane De La Haye originally from Jamaica now residing in Canada.
What was the casting process like for this film, and how did you choose the actors to best fit the roles?
For the most part we went the Audition route, but over the years I’ve worked with some great actors on the island so I already envisioned who would fit where. The script was also written over a fairly long span of time, so as it evolved, we started adding in new characters.
How would you describe the visual and narrative style of the film?
I would describe the narrative style of the film as Drama with some light touches of humor here and there.
What were the biggest challenges you faced while making “The Wonderful Counsellor,” and how did you overcome them?
This project was done on a zero budget…or I should say a ‘Sweat equity’ budget. Everyone from cast, crew, writer just volunteered their gift and time. Thankfully we already had most of the film equipment needed, cameras lights etc, so that was a huge help, but without people, those things are just equipment. It takes the people to operate them. So that was the major challenge…like most independent films, but we were able to share the vision with the team and they came on board and did it with their whole hearts and for that I’m super grateful.
I think one of the challenges was we had some younger actors in the first couple of episodes and some of them had to leave (migrate) either for studies or just to start a new life. So it was really difficult to maintain consistency, because we were filming either over a weekend or having long gaps in between. It wasn’t until January 2023 I decided to tell the writer ‘Hey let’s just get all 5 episodes written and let’s try to knock it out’. So over 4 weekends, we were able to get the bulk of the filming done, then whenever we needed additional shots we would go and get them.
Can you share any particularly memorable or transformative moments during the production of this film?
It wasn’t really one particular moment, but I think it was observing everyone’s growth over the course of this project…from the actors to the crew, we all studied our craft and tried to improve, and I saw it particularly in the actors and how they were able to confidently embrace and become their character. They came prepared, knowing their lines. One key thing for me is rehearsal and I think because we spent time in practice and asking the actors their opinions on their characters and how they think their character would response to any given situation, that helped the process along.
How did filming on location in St. Maarten influence the storytelling and the overall production of the film?
It was very important that at the very least all the actors were from Sint Maarten. I wanted their language and how they speak to be as authentic as possible. Now of course I know we have various dialect here on the island and honestly, I find the Sint Maarten accent very refined for the most part. We don’t have strong accents like say Jamaica or Barbados, but it just had to be real and authentic for me. So, when we were in rehearsal, I reiterated ‘please say the lines as you would say them, don’t try to sound like anyone else’.
What lessons have you learned from this filmmaking journey that you will carry forward into your future projects?
I mean, I love what I do, I’ve learned to make sure whoever is in your project that they understand you. This team had such a great time on set, we laughed (when it was time to laugh as I’m very serious when it comes to time and I hate wasting time). But we were very respectful of each other. It’s very important to have a team that buys into the vision. The team on the Wonderful Counsellor were just amaaaaazing!!
I’ve also learned to make sure the actors are as comfortable as possible as they are the carriers of the story and the characters. To give them the freedom to explore and interpret the character as much as possible
How has the local community reacted to the film, and what impact do you hope it will have on viewers in St. Maarten and beyond?
At the time of writing this, we are in the promotion stage, but so far there seems to be a buzz around it, as people are always excited to see people they know on the big screen. We’ve been getting a lot of interest, which I’m really excited about.
What role did collaboration play in the making of “The Wonderful Counsellor,” and how did your team contribute to bringing your vision to life?
Collaboration was everything!! From my wife (also make-up artist) to my kids coming out on set. During the main production, we literally only had a handful of people as the crew. Myself (Directing and Cinematographer), Delano – Sound and Assistant, and a couple of other young fellas who would help us carry gear etc.
We were able to film at the NIPA building for a few days, which was super helpful for us. I have to give a special shout out to Ruthmilda Patrick who catered for us, that was everything! If you don’t have food on your set, you can forget it, its over!!! Once the film was completed, that’s when we started to get some help from the community.
The Mental Health Foundation had a viewing and have come on board to support our project so I’m really excited about that, and to be honest, this is what it’s all about to let the community know that we have the resources on the island to help with Mental health challenges. Of course, we have some of our business partners that purchased some advertising space prior to the movie, so that is helping cover the costs to put it on at the Caribbean Cinemas
Tell us all about the cast.
This cast is phenomenal!
We have Edsel Monzon, Playing the lead character Dr. Michael Wonder. I’ve worked with him on several projects. I literally call him the Denzel Washington of Sint Maarten and that is no flattery at all. He has such a calmness on camera which is a dream to work with. Let me say it like this he understands the camera.
Jenise Diaz plays Chloe Wonder, his wife. Jenise is a rising star in my opinion. I met her a few years ago, actually I remember seeing a few Instagram posts of her playing these different characters from movies, and they were so good so I reached out to her a few years ago and started doing smaller commercial projects and then she got the role for this project after an audition.
Rita Gumbs, wow what can I say. I was honored just for the fact she said ‘Yes’. I wanted to honor the actors who I say paved the way here on Sint Maarten and Rita is one of those actors who loves the craft. She came on a little late on the project, but made such a big impact on her role. I never will forget one of the evenings she was performing. The tradition was after the show when leaving the cultural center, everyone would get to go shake the casts hands. Well, she shook my hand and took me over to Mr. Ian Valz to introduce me to him and she said something to the effect of ‘look out for this guy, he’s doing great things’. At that time, I was pretty much just starting out in the theater here so that stuck with me till today.
Then we have Mr. Earl Duzong. I call him my elder brother in the acting field. When I came to Sint Maarten, he was dominating the stage with plays with the late great Sir Ian Valz. He plays the role of Charles who gets therapy with his wife.
Shama Flurton, another veteran of the stage. I love Shama because she is always willing and available anytime we call on any of our projects. It’s so important to have reliable people…and of course if anyone knows Shama, she’s a tell it like it is person, and I love that!
Adelicia Mossel. She is like family. She has been on most of our projects from the early-stage days back in the 2000s. Always willing, always available and always making everyone laugh on set. She is one person that has the greatest sense of humor.
We have two young actors who are also on the rise. Ernika Van Putten and Ayanna Mossell. Who plays a young child getting therapy because her mother has promiscuity issues.
Denicia Liverpool is an amazing actress who unfortunately moved to the Netherlands, but wow, she has always been an amazing actress. Fun fact, I’ve known her mother and father since 1994 and that’s exactly when she was born, so I’ve literally known Denicia from Day 1.
Sarina Alexander plays the role of Nathan’s wife. Another amazing actress who we worked with on the film ‘Here comes the Groom’ a few years ago. Unfortunately, she migrated also.
Thomas Fernando. Playing the role of Nathan. Thomas is literally a Police officer on the island here, who loves the arts, and we were blessed to have him play one of the characters getting therapy from Dr. Wonder.
Aurelien Di Mambro is an actor that was living in Canada and then moved to Sint Maarten for a while, so we were able to have him come on board and be a part of this project. He plays the role of Christopher. He has also now migrated.
Clarisse Glasgow is an exceptional actress. I’ve worked with her on stage and also on another film. She has such a grace about her when she’s on screen, like Edsel, it’s the calmness and knowing how much expressions to use at any given time. Really amazing to work with.
“The Wonderful Counsellor” Movie premieres February 9th, 14th & 15th 2025 at the Caribbean Cinemas.
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED HERE:
https://www.eventbrite.com/…/the-wonderful-counsellor…
Source: The Peoples Tribune https://www.thepeoplestribunesxm.com
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