For those who may not have got a chance to see it last year, the gritty urban drama God Loves the Fighter, which is based on the city of Port-of-Spain, will return to the public this December in cinemas nationwide.
The film stars a totally local cast including Penelope Spencer, Errol Sitahal and Albert Laveau and has been picked up by MovieTowne multiplex cinemas and Caribbean Cinemas 8 for local theatrical release from December 3, a release said.
The film, which premiered at the T&T Film Festival in September 2013, was acknowledged for Best Overall Film (Special Mention) and won the Best Overall T&T Feature Film Award (sponsored by the T&T Film Company) and the award for People’s Choice—Feature Film, with an unprecedented eight sold-out screenings in MovieTowne Port-of-Spain, Tobago and student screenings at UWI, St Augustine.
God Loves the Fighter also won the Yellow Robin Award at the Curacao International Film Festival, Rotterdam and was named Best Narrative Feature Film (Honourable Mention) at the BET/HBO UrbanWorld Film Festival NY in September 2014. A controversial first sneak peek teaser video from the film was released on November 3, exclusively on the film’s Facebook.com page to a massive response and very passionate reviews.
On Facebook.com/godlovesthefighter, the teaser was viewed over 69,000 times and with 239 shares. The film is being promoted to mature audiences only and has been approved for viewing locally by the Board of Film Censors with a 16-years-and-over rating. Directed by Morvant/Laventille-born Damian Marcano, God Loves the Fighter stars up and coming T&T actors Jamie Lee Philips, Tishanna Williams, Lou Lyons and lead actor Muhammad Muwakil.
Muwakil plays Charlie, a resident of east Port-of-Spain torn between the dangerous lifestyle of his neighbourhood childhood friend, and his own morality. The movie explores the underbelly of the urban struggle, hardly ever revealed to the outside world. Through a large cast of characters, the struggle is brought to light by way of multiple storylines weaving through different lives and incidents all over Port-of-Spain
The synopsis of the film reads, “Welcome to Port of Spain—some call it the murder capital of the Caribbean, but for those in Trinidad it is home, where several characters struggle to live their life under restrictions placed on them by their community and their circumstances. Where the pimps, pushers and prostitutes keep the cities heart beat pumping every day. Where a person is murdered every 17 hours and the only thing you have to lean on is your faith.”
From the buzz surrounding the film on social media thus far, God Loves the Fighter is set to surpass the expectations that most have come to anticipate from dramatic films made in T&T, a release from the producers said. The release further added, “The theme is one of overcoming conflict; and fighting through the odds toward a better outcome and in pursuit of a better life. Through its memorable characters, the movie projects the creative survival instinct of the Trinidadian and illustrates different examples of overcoming adversity.”
Check Out The Official Trailer Here!
