It may be said that Guyana’s newest feature film was released last week. One may refer to the work that was released in that fashion, but one may call it something else, because the movie titled The Helpline is not what it was intended to be. The producers set out to do one thing to fulfil a mission but found themselves with quite something else.
It was a big occasion at the National Cultural Centre last Tuesday when Merundoi Incorporated, producers of the popular radio serial drama and various pieces of community theatre had the premiere screening of the film The Helpline directed by Kojo McPherson. The event was moderated by Executive Producer of the movie and Head of Merundoi Margaret Lawrence, who is also Administrator of the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama (NSTAD).
The making of the film was a collaborative effort since the work and its elaborate launching were under the aegis of The European Union and co-presented by Merundoi, Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG) and Family Awareness, Consciousness, Togetherness (FACT). The launch was addressed by Ambassador Jernej Videtic, Head of the European Union Delegation in this corner of the world, as well as Dmitri Nicholson representing YCG and Dr Suzanne Siebs on behalf of the Ministry of Public Health.