05122023 WEEKEND

The Weekend Fashion Report ‘The Little Mermaid’ Premiere

With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

HIT Halle Bailey (‘Ariel’)

Karin says: “It’s the perfect dress for the event. Very on the nose, but hey, this was the one premiere you would want to be on-theme for. The silver-blue column gown with the shell detailing on the bodice is beautiful and she looks radiant. (I wish she had this shade of red hair in the movie).”

Cara says: “Oh look, she is wearing an upside down mermaidb tail! I actually think that is a bit clever – be predictable without being predictable. She looks beautiful and very much in character, although I wish she had glammed it up just a tad more for her big night.”

HIT Jodi Benson (‘Original Ariel’)

Karin says: “Gorgeous! I love that her dress looks like it was spun from pure sea foam (it’s a beautiful nod to the original story and the Disney movie). She looks like an ethereal princess. Love it.”

Cara says: “Our original Little Mermaid looks gorgeous! This dress is totally fitting for a Disney princess. I love that she came out to support Halle. I love the sparkle and the draped sleeves.”

FAIL Melissa McCarthy (‘Ursula’)

Karin says: “She could’ve come in a beautiful purple ball gown as a tribute to Ursula, instead we get this monstrosity. What are those ruffles? What are those gloves? And what is that fringe? Only the royal blue colour works here.”

Cara says: “First, the colour is stunning, however she has just a tad too much going on. There was enough drama with the ruffled sleeves so that she really didn’t need the gloves and the fringe. The silhouette would have looked much better without all that extraness.”

FAIL Simone Ashley (‘Bridgerton’, ‘Princess Indira’)

Karin says: “I’m convinced her stylist hates her. Ever since she blew up with ‘Bridgerton’, she’s been wearing these awful red carpet dresses, but this Frankenstein dress takes the cake. What is even supposed to be?”

Cara says: “Oh Lord, this is a complete disaster. Please pick a side – either sexy gold lace mini or fuchsia ballgown. Honey, you simply can’t have both. This looks like a failed practical exam from sewing class.”

FAIL Chloe Bailey

Karin says: “Good for Chloe for coming out to support her sister, but she could’ve done it with better look. The hair paired with the dress is a bit too much. And the dress looks like a cheap circus gown; very theatrical, but not in a good way.”

Cara says: “I am on the fence with this one. I like it, but I don’t like it. I love her hair, but maybe the high neckline and the hair make it look too crowded? Something is just not working for me.”

(Photos/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

‘Bahamas’ cuisine an integral part of orange economy’, says local chef

By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net

An episode of a hit online food show put Bahamian cuisine in the spotlight and demonstrated what the country has to offer in terms of food tourism.

The popular YouTube series “Best Ever Food Review” has garnered nearly 10 million views on its video highlighting Bahamian food.

Posted nearly a year ago, it keeps racking up views and has sparked great interest in what the Bahamas has to offer food wise.

The widely watched episode, titled “Bizarre Bahamas!! More Unseen EXTREME Seafood!!,” has received universal praise from viewers from around the world, many of whom have expressed a keen interest in visiting the Bahamas to experience its culinary offerings firsthand.

In the episode, viewers are taken on a one-and-a-half-hour adventure in which host Sonny Side immerses himself in Bahamian food culture and samples native delicacies such as grilled lobster from Frankie Gone Bananas; conch salad from Dino’s Gourmet Conch Salad Restaurant and Fisherman Yellow’s at Montague Beach; conch fritters from The Captain’s Table; grilled boar ribs sourced from wild-caught Andros boars, and a plethora of other mouth-watering dishes.

“Best Ever Food Review” is a YouTube food and travel channel created by American filmmaker Will Sonbuchner, alias, Sonny Side. The production team is based in Vietnam and films episodes all around the world.

Local celebrity Chef Simeon Hall Jr, who appears in the show, said the widespread popularity of the episode marks a significant win for Bahamian cuisine, and demonstrates that there is a global appetite for our unique and flavourful dishes. It also serves as a reminder of the vital role food plays in the orange economy, he told Tribune Weekend.

The orange economy refers to the cultural and creative industries, encompassing diverse fields such

as music, art, theatre, film, fashion, literature and of course, the culinary arts.

In the Bahamian episode, Chef Hall has a sit-down meal of griotinspired (Haitian cuisine) pork ribs with the host.

From his estimation, the importance of local food culture is often overlooked and underestimated.

“Despite being an integral part of the orange economy, Bahamian food culture is one of its least regarded aspects, even though it is consumed the most,” said the culinary artisan.

He added: “Our food not only sustains us, but also serves as a crucial part of our cultural identity. The culinary arts hold a significant place in the creative economy by providing tourists from near and far with a means to connect with and experience our culture through our distinctive cuisine.”

Chef Hall, who is a fierce proponent of ‘farm to table’ and ‘sea to spoon’ movements, said Bahamian food culture is more than just its food, it’s also the gathering of

ingredients and the preparation of the dishes.

“Bahamian food culture is so rich and expansive that it often crosses over into entertainment and leisure. Tourists come to the Bahamas not just to eat our food, but to be a part of its culinary process, from catching fresh local fish and spearing spiny lobster, to watching the skillful preparation of tropical conch salad; it’s an immersive process,” he said.

“I’ve always believed that food is not just meant to be consumed, but rather experienced in its entirety. That’s what makes Bahamian cuisine so special and why it appeals to millions of people around the world. As Bahamians, it’s important for us to recognise the unique selling point of our cuisine and to include the culinary arts in conversations about the orange economy in the Bahamas.”

CHEF Simeon Hall Jr, owner of the Simeon Hall Restaurant Management Group

A STILL from the episode, _Bizarre Bahamas!! More Unseen EXTREME Seafood!!

Samara Barr

This recent college graduate has travelled a long, hard road since being diagnosed with lupus more than four years ago. She tells Cara Hunt how she was still able to pursue her dreams and how she hopes her story will comfort others.

In 2019, Samara Barr was at the top of her game. She was an avid athlete and was looking forward to furthering her education in college.

However, sometimes life can change in the blink of an eye.

In Samara’s case, the sudden change came in the form of a lupus diagnosis.

May is Lupus Awareness Month and this week Samara spoke with Tribune Weekend about the challenges she has faced and overcome since her diagnosis.

“I was diagnosed in February of 2019. It started with pains in the bottoms of my feet. I didn’t think that much of it originally because I had just come back from a trip to Miami, so I figured that it was just because I had walked around a lot on the trip.”

However, things got progressively worse.

“The pain just kept spreading and getting stronger; it felt like I had cement in my legs. My energy was just depleted and then I started getting rashes on my face.”

Her physical condition also started affecting her performance at the travel agency where she was working at the time.

“It got to the point where I was not able to go into work because I felt so bad, and although I kept going to the doctor, they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me and so my job started questioning why I had to take so many sick days and what was wrong with me.”

It would take quite a while before Samara got an answer to that question. Eventually, she had to stop working all together.

“I had swollen lymph nodes and was close to paralysis and needed constant help.”

But she still had not gotten any closer to a proper diagnosis.

“I had seen several doctors, had a lot of blood work done, but no one

had any good answers for me. The closest suggestion that they had was maybe I had rheumatoid arthritis. But finally, someone suggested that I see a rheumatologist and I was given a lupus diagnosis.”

Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissues, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs. It can affect the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys and blood vessels. Symptoms can include: Muscle and joint pain, stiffness (with or without swelling), fever rashes, chest pain, hair loss, sun or light sensitivity, kidney problems and mouth sores.

“The diagnosis was a shock to me and my family, especially because I was the one in the family who everyone considered to be the healthiest.”

But while the diagnosis came as a shock, it was also a relief for Samara.

“There was definitely that sense of, ‘OK, I know what’s wrong with me’. I didn’t know a lot about lupus. I think I had read about someone having it once on Facebook, but that was about it.”

Samara immediately started researching her condition.

“I changed my diet and cut out just about all processed foods and things I knew were inflammatory, and that did make a difference.”

Unfortunately, she also had to make another major decision.

“I had been granted a college scholarship to play basketball in Canada. But it would have been physically impossible for me to accept that scholarship and so I had to turn it down. I had lost a lot of weight; my muscles were gone.”

One day, she as she was watching her former basketball team play, a local journalist and friend approached her.

“She asked me why I wasn’t at practice and I told her I had lupus and couldn’t play and I couldn’t be in the

sun. She decided to do a news feature on me. I had always been a very private person so it was a bit difficult to share my story at first.” However, something great resulted from that interview.

“The school which had offered me the scholarship actually saw the interview and reached out and told me that if I still wanted it, it was mine.”

Samara spent the summer getting in the best shape she could and started college in September of 2019.

“I did pretty good; the coaches were very understanding and they worked with me and my physical limitations. I pretty much had everything under control, but the cold weather did cause me to get a few face rashes.”

Another symptom manifested in her third semester.

“I was a science major and so there is a lot of information that you have to recall and I was struggling. I was failing because I couldn’t remember the things I needed to know and I would run out of time on test.”

Fortunately, she was able to reach out to the members of Lupus 242, the local advocacy and awareness group that she joined after her diagnosis, and they helped her realise that she was experiencing a common side effect of her condition.

“I was able to reach out to my doctor and we adjusted some of my meds and then I got a medical letter explaining what was happening and that I would need extra time to take test.”

this weekend in history

May 12

• In 1932, aviation hero Charles Lindbergh’s 20-month-old son is found dead, more than two months after he was kidnapped from his family’s mansion in Hopewell, New Jersey. Three years later, in April 1936, a man named Bruno Hauptmann was executed for the crime, despite concerns regarding the evidence linking him to the kidnapping.

It was a fairly easy fix compared to what would be her next challenge: living through a global pandemic with a high-risk disease.

“I was so afraid to go out during COVID. I was one of those people who became obsessed with washing everything that came into my home. I was actually stuck in Canada and couldn’t come back home during the pandemic.”

Despite her best preventative efforts, Samara did contract the virus in 2022.

“I have to say, that since I had COVID, I had the most flare-ups ever. They were pretty consistent, even a year later. You just get to a point where you are so frustrated with your body. I remembered I ate something I was allergic to and that triggered one of my biggest flare-ups ever.

“Sometimes I get frustrated that it will never stop, but then I have to remember that this too shall pass.”

This year, Samara reached an important milestone despite the challenges caused by her health: She graduated from Crandall University in New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

She has now started a new stage in her life, working as teacher. And she is more than happy to share her story.

“I used to be very timid before, but now I am not afraid to say that I have it. I want to share my story so that it can help someone else, because having support from someone else who has lupus is so important. My family supports me, but they can’t really understand exactly I am going through.”

see covert members of an international Communist conspiracy everywhere.

May 13

Churchill tells members: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”

May 14

• In 1963, Bob Dylan walks out on the iconic “Ed Sullivan Show”. The song was “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues,” which satirised the ultraconservative John Birch Society and its tendency to

• In 1846, US Congress declares war on Mexico in a dispute over Texas. After nearly two years of fighting, peace was established by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848. The Rio Grande river was made the southern boundary of Texas, and California and New Mexico were ceded to the US. In return, the US paid Mexico the sum of $15 million ($470 million in today’s money).

• In 1940, during World War II, in his first speech to the House of Commons as prime minister, Winston

• In 1607, the first permanent British settlement in North America is founded at Jamestown, Virginia, about 2.5 miles southwest of the centre of modern Williamsburg. It was established by the Virginia Company of London as “James Fort”. Jamestown served as the colonial capital from 1616 until 1699.

• In 1643, four-year-old Louis XIV, later known as the Sun King, ascends the throne of France. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any sovereign in history

A BABY picture of Charles Lindbergh, Jr, before the kidnapping.

‘We The Few’ strives to rock to the Bahamas

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net

In a country where soca, rake n’ scrape and reggae rule supreme, it’s not often that you see a new rock act come up through the ranks.

But that’s what’s happening with the band We The Few, a new Bahamian rock collective which has been performing at venues all over Nassau in recent years.

“We pull inspiration and sounds from all over the spectrum of music. Bands like The Pillows and Coldplay play a big part in how we sound,” said Roger Duvalier, the band’s leader who is also the main guitarist and vocalist.

He told Tribune Weekend his biggest inspiration is a Canadian band called PUP, whose sound and story inspired him to go out and start his own band.

PUP – which stands for Pathetic Use of Potential – is a Canadian punk rock band which originally formed in Toronto, Ontario in 2010 under the name Topanga.

Through a weird series of events, as Roger describes it, We The Few ended up in one of PUP’s music videos for the 2019 song “Free at Last”.

When it comes to their band name, We The Few, Roger said it is supposed to represent the minority – they are only three members and there is only a small fanbase for rock music in the Bahamas.

Currently, the members are drummer Miz Breezy, singer Cadence, who also plays the bass, and Roger.

We The Few started in 2018, after Roger’s last band, Black Sheep, had broken up. He formed the new band with pianist Whitni Chandler and bassist/drummer Abiyah Woodside. But they soon left to pursue other interests. A friend of his, Taiisha, was interested in learning to play the bass, so she came on board.

“And after a few months of advertising for a new drummer, our page got an out-of-the-blue message from someone called Miz Breezy stating that we ‘found a drummer’, and she just cemented herself as the newest drummer,” said Roger.

The group spent the entirety of 2019 playing gigs at different venues, and hosting a few of their own shows in places like Pirate’s Republic, Trackroad Theatre, Hillside House, and even in their homes, right up until 2020 when the COVID-19 global pandemic started.

“In this time, Taiisha chose to leave the band to pursue other

interests, and the band took a hiatus for two years. After which in 2022, a newer member, Cade Darling (Cadence), showed interest and joined after expressing his love of Green Day and Coldplay. So he became the new bassist,” said Roger. The band had their first show since the pandemic last November and played to a full house.

“People followed us over the years, I believe, because of the message the band seeks to give, and because of the raw power and emotion behind the lyrics and music we write,” said Roger.

The band’s debut album, which has been in the works for the last two years, is nearing completion.

“COVID really slowed down the process, but now we can actually really get back at it and get the music out there. There will be some singles released within the next month or two. Right now, there are a few scattered about on our Instagram and Facebook pages, like ‘Damage Report’, ‘Metal Astronaut’, ‘Static’ and ‘Better Now’,” he said.

Through their live performances and online presence, Roger said they are slowly making a name for themselves…”getting out there and engaging with people and being really real with them. Sharing our stories through the music and being very grounded with the music scene. We’re a rock band, so it’s all just being loud and being seen.”

While they haven’t found a steady venue to call home as yet, Roger said the group is open to bookings. Currently, the band is putting on shows at various locations in an effort to keep their presence fresh and engaging for the audience. Roger said this helps give their listeners a new experience every time they see the group.

“The hope that the music is going to get out there, impact the world and change our lives is something you think about a lot, but the real trick is finding people who are truly passionate about the project, and actually seeing it through even through the tough times,” he said.

“It’s not always super great, especially because of the limitations we have here living in the Bahamas, but you just gotta make do with what you got and stay positive about it. The band members really just love the music and believe in the dream.”

Roger encourages supporters and those interested to keep up-to-date with the band via “We The Few” on Facebook and @wethefew.theband on Instagram.

The Mother Ode

Good day, gardeners. As usual, it takes quite a bit of consideration for me to choose what it is that I am going to write about today.

I do feel as if it tends to run around in circles at times. This needs fertilizer and that doesn’t, that doesn’t need fertilizer and this does. This ought to be planted now, that ought not.

At our nursery, we are currently very busy planting crops that will be available hopefully by the winter planting season.

Where we have succeeded in the past with certain things, we will replicate the conditions in hopes of achieving success again this year. Where we have failed with certain things in the past, we will make changes. My mother would always say, keep trying; to try is the action of doing.

And to quote Star Wars’ Yoda, “Do, or don’t do, there is no try.” One is either doing, or not doing, there is no in between. Make the best use of what you have, and do not worry about the things that you don’t. We can all make something beautiful in the space that we have, and gardening or growing something is an excellent place to start.

Those with large properties have a lot more freedom to grow things than those with small properties. Freedom to grow belongs to all, though. Those that rent small spaces are no less able to grow something than those with acres of land.

I will never forget an apartment that I lived in in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a small space, and the dog would jump out the window and hang out on the roof above the apartment below. She was a North Carolina potcake that, I swear, was half mountain goat. That small apartment was filled with plants; green plants and colourful plants, hanging plants and plants that stand up straight. There were plants that were toxic to humans and plants that were toxic to animals, and never once did that dog attempt to eat a plant that could harm it, and so I tend to scoff a little at those that say, ‘Will this or that harm my pets?’

Granted, some pets are a little more neurotic than others, and that North Carolina potcake was quite

neurotic, and in all truth, the chances of a pet eating a plant that is toxic are so considerably low that it is all but a moot point. Then again, just because my dog didn’t eat anything that would hurt it doesn’t mean others won’t, but then again, I am not one to err on the side of caution.

What I’m about to say may offend some, but I’ll say it anyway. If a child eats a plant that is toxic or harmful, it is not the fault of the plant being toxic, nor the child’s fault for ingesting it. Maybe it’s a good idea to have

eyes on the child. Never once in 48 years of being on a nursery property, growing all sorts of types of plants, many which are toxic to humans and animals, have I, to the best of my knowledge, experienced a situation where a dog, ca, or any child, ingested something that would be toxic for them.

* * *

I have always had somewhat of a “just do it” attitude. Much of my

inspiration was given to me from my mother. She was a master gardener and a fabulous flower arranger. She was an artist, and she was an inspiration to me, and apparently also to many others, and that warms my heart.

Our co-founder, my mother, passed away at the end of last year, and we just had her birthday last week, and now Mother’s Day, for the first time without her physical presence. All any of my family need to do is look around to be reminded of her. She loved her garden. In that tiny North Carolina apartment, my mother would visit me now and again. It was somewhat of an ode to her, and the passion for plants that she passed along to me was why that apartment was filled with so many plants. When I see a bare patch of ground, one of the first thoughts that crosses my mind is, ‘Geez, what can be planted there?’ When I see an empty corner in a house or office space, one of the first thoughts that crosses my mind is, ‘Geez, what plant can be put there?’

So, I say all of that to say this: this is an ode to my mother, a gardener, a sister and aunt, a grandmother, a child. Grow a plant. Honour the mothers. As always, I wish you happy gardening.

• Adam Boorman is the nursery manager at Fox Hill Nursery on Bernard Road. You can contact him with any questions you may have, or topics you would like to see discussed, at gardening242@gmail. com.

Summer Movie Guide – Part I

There is something for everyone at the movies this Summer, both in theatres and streaming at home. After bidding farewell to the Guardians of the Galaxy, go under the sea with Halle Bailey in “The Little Mermaid”.

June brings “Indiana Jones 5,” a “Spider-Verse” sequel, “The Flash”, a new Pixar pic, and things get really exciting in July with the highly anticipated debuts of “Oppenheimer,” “Mission: Impossible 7” and “Barbie”.

Here’s a month-by-month guide of this Summer’s new movies.

May 12

“The Mother,” (Netflix, streaming): Jennifer Lopez is an assassin and a mother in this action pic timed to Mother’s Day.

“STILL: A Michael J Fox Movie ” (AppleTV+): Davis Guggenheim helps Michael J Fox tell his story, from his rise in Hollywood to his Parkinson’s diagnosis and beyond.

“Hypnotic ”(theatres): Ben Affleck plays a detective whose daughter goes missing in this Robert Rodriguez movie.

May 19

“Fast X ”: In the tenth installment of the Fast franchise, Jason Momoa joins as the vengeful son of a slain drug lord intent to take out Vin Diesel’s Dom.

“White Men Can’t Jump” (streaming on Hulu): Sinqua Walls and Jack Harlow co-star in this remake of the 1992 film, co-written by Kenya Barris and featuring the late Lance Reddick.

May 26

“The Little Mermaid”: Halle Bailey plays Ariel in this technically ambitious live-action remake of a recent Disney classic directed by Rob Marshall (“Chicago”) and costarring Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.

“Victim/Suspect ” (Netflix, on May 23): This documentary explores how law enforcement sometimes indicts victims of sexual assault instead of helping.

“Kandahar”: Gerard Butler plays an undercover CIA operative in hostile territory in Afghanistan.

June 2

“Spider-Man: Across the SpiderVerse”: Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is back, but with things not going so well in Brooklyn, he opts to visit the multiverse with his old pal Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), where he encounters the Spider-Society.

“The Boogeyman”: “It’s the thing that comes for your kids when you’re not paying attention,” David Dastmalchian explains to Chris Messina in this Stephen King adaptation.

June 9

“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”: Steven Caple Jr directs the seventh Transformers movie, starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback.

“Flamin’ Hot” (Hulu, Disney+): Eva Longoria directs this story about Richard Montañez, a janitor at

Frito-Lay who came up with the idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

June 16

“The Flash”: Batmans past Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton assemble for this standalone Flash movie directed by Andy Muschietti and starring Ezra Miller as the titular superhero.

“Elemental”: In Element City, residents include Air, Earth, Water and Fire in the new Pixar original, featuring the voices of Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie and Catherine O’Hara.

“Extraction 2” (Netflix, streaming): Chris Hemsworth’s mercenary Tyler Rake is back for another dangerous mission.

“The Blackening”: This scary movie satire sends a group of Black friends including Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg and X Mayo to a cabin in the woods.

June 30

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”: Harrison Ford puts his

iconic fedora back on for a fifth outing as Indy in this new adventure directed by James Mangold and costarring Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

“Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken”: Lana Condor (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) lends her voice to this animated action-comedy about a shy teenager trying to survive high school as a part-Kraken.

July 7

“Insidious: The Red Door”: Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne are back to scare everyone in the fifth edition.

July 14

“Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part I” Tom Cruise? Death-defying stunts in Venice? The return of Kittridge? What more do you need?

July 21

“Oppenheimer”: Christopher Nolan takes audiences into the mind of the “father of the atomic bomb,” J Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) as he and his peers build up to the trinity test at Los Alamos.

“Barbie”: Margot Robbie plays the world’s most famous doll (as do many others) opposite Ryan Gosling’s Ken in Greta Gerwig’s comedic look at their perfect world.

“Stephen Curry: Underrated” (Apple TV+): Peter Nicks directs a documentary about the four-time NBA champion.

“They Cloned Tyrone” (Netflix): John Boyega, Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx lead this mystery caper.

July 28

“Haunted Mansion”: A Disney ride comes to life in with the help of Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson and Danny DeVito.

“Happiness for Beginners” (Netflix, on July 27): Ellie Kemper is a newly divorced woman looking to shake things up.

“Sympathy for the Devil”: Joel Kinnaman is forced to drive a mysterious gunman (Nicolas Cage) in this thriller.

The Associated Press

literary lives – Steven Spielberg

The pioneer of the modern blockbuster - Part I

Sir Christopher Ondaatje summarises the extraordinary career of the American director, writer and producer who is a major figure in the new Hollywood era, and might well be the most commercially successful movie director of all time.

“It was immediately obvious to me, and probably everyone else, that here was a young genius. I thought that maybe more experience was important, but then I thought of all those experienced directors who didn’t have Steven Spielberg’s intuitive inspiration.”

– Joan Crawford Star, Night Gallery (1969)

Steven Spielberg was born on December 18, 1946, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His mother was a restaurateur and concert pianist, and his father an electrical engineer involved in the development of computers.

In 1952, his family moved to Haddon Township, New Jersey, after his father was hired by the RCA (Radio Corporation of America, 1919).

In early 1957, the family moved again to Phoenix, Arizona. At school, Spielberg suffered from anti-Semitism: “In high school, I got smacked and kicked around. Two bloody noses. It was horrible.”

Spielberg’s interest in film started when he was twelve years old. He made his first home movie, a train wreck involving his toy Lionel trains. The same year, 1958, he became a Boy Scout and won his photography merit badge by making a nineminute, 8mm film The Last Gunfight. He eventually attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He used his father’s movie camera to make amateur film features and at thirteen made Escape to Nowhere, a 40-minute film with a cast of his school classmates.

The film won first prize in a statewide competition. He made at least another 20 8mm “adventure” films at school – always experimenting and completely addicted to the medium.

Every Saturday he watched films at the local Phoenix theatre: Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956), Captain Courageous (1937), Pinocchio (1940), and David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – an epic film that he says really set him on his journey. He attended Arcadia High School for three years, and wrote and directed a 140-minute science fiction film called Firelight which later inspired Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

The film was funded by his father who put up $600, and was shown once in the local theatre one evening. He worked as an assistant in the summer of 1964 at Universal Studios’ editorial department. His family then moved to Saratoga, California.

In 1966, his parents divorced. Spielberg moved to Los Angeles with his father, while his three sisters stayed with their mother in Saratoga. He was only interested in becoming a filmmaker, and applied to the University of Southern California’s film school, but was turned down because of his low grades. Disappointed, he then applied and enrolled at California State University.

He then went back to Universal Studios when he got a three-day pass allowing him to come back the next two days. On the fourth day, he walked up to the studio gates without a pass. The security guard waved him in.

“I basically spent the next two months at Universal Studios. And that was how I became an unofficial apprentice that summer.”

– Steven Spielberg

In 1968, Universal Studios gave Spielberg the chance to write and direct a short film for theatrical release. The 26-minute, 35mm Amblin’. Studio vice-president Sidney Sheinberg was impressed by the award-winning film, and offered Spielberg a seven-year directing contract. He dropped out of college and began to make television productions for Universal – making him the youngest director to be signed by a major Hollywood studio to a longterm contract. It wasn’t until 2002 that he returned to California State University in Long Beach to complete his Bachelor of Arts in Film and Electronic Media.

Spielberg got his first professional job in 1969 when he was hired to direct one of the segments of Night Gallery with Joan Crawford. She was horrified to be given a young inexperienced and untrained director. Trying to impress his colleagues with some fancy camerawork, he was

abruptly told to get on and shoot the film quickly.

In the early 1970s, Spielberg tried unsuccessfully to raise money for his own low-budget films. So he turned to writing screenplays with other writers, and then directing TV episodes: Marcus Welby, M.D., The Name of the Game, Columbo, and The Psychiatrist. He continued to experiment with techniques, learned about filmmaking from his seniors, and started impressing producers. He was also earning a steady income, and moved to Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. He was getting recognition.

Based on the quality of his work, in 1971 Universal signed the young Spielberg, who was then only twentyfive years old, to do four television films. Duel was the first about a psychotic truck driver who chases a terrified salesman (Dennis Weaver) down a highway. Impressed with the film executives decided to promote the film on television, and Spielberg was asked to shoot more scenes so that Duel could be released on international markets. He was given other films to do including Something Evil (1972) and Savage (1973). The films got mixed reviews.

In 1974, Spielberg made his debut in a theatrical film, The Sugarland Express, about a married couple on the run, desperate to regain custody of their baby from foster parents. The film was based on a true story and opened in four hundred theatres in the US to positive reviews.

Although the film was honoured for Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival, it was not a commercial success.

In 1975, Richard D Zanuck and David Brown gave Spielberg the opportunity to direct Jaws – a horrorthriller based on the Peter Benchley book about a great white shark that attacked beachgoers in an American resort town. Roy Schneider and Richard Dreyfuss starred in the film and filming proved to be challenging. Spielberg only just avoided being crushed by boats and drowning. The film overran the time schedule by over a hundred days and Universal threatened to cancel production. It wasn’t the first or last time that Spielberg, always the perfectionist, got into trouble with location overruns and budgets. Surprisingly, the film was a critical and commercial success, winning three Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Sound. It grossed more than $470 million worldwide. It also made Spielberg’s name. His off-centre camera techniques drew unexpected praise:

“… young Spielberg. He’s the first one of us who doesn’t see the proscenium arch.

–

Alfred Hitchcock

Spielberg turned down the offer to make Jaws 2, but reconvened with Richard Dreyfuss to make Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), using 65mm film for a better picture quality, and a new live-action recording system that could be duplicated later. It was one of the few films both written and directed by himself, and was popular with movie fans. The film earned six Academy Award nominations. The film won the award for Best Cinematography, and Best Sound Effects Editing. An adapted version was released in theatres in 1980.

Spielberg was next given responsibility for the big budget action-comedy film 1941 about

Californians preparing for a Japanese invasion after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour. He was wary about doing a comedy – a dangerous field. Both Universal and Columbia agreed to finance the film, and although it grossed $92.4 million most critics disliked the film.

Sticking to his passion for adventure and action, Spielberg next teamed up with Star Wars creator George Lucas on the first Indiana Jones franchise Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). The title character was played by Harrison Ford – a self taught professional carpenter who was introduced to the Hollywood scene by Joan Didion, the writer. Lucas used him in Star Wars, and he was Spielberg’s first choice for the leading role. Filmed in North Africa, the film was a success at the box office and won five Academy Awards. Spielberg received his second nomination for Best Director.

He began to co-produce other films including Poltergeist (1982) and The Twilight Zone. The same year he directed E.T. the Extra Terrestial, a science fiction film about a young boy and the alien he befriends who was accidently left behind. A brilliant film, it premiered at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival.

E.T. grossed $700 million worldwide, and spawned a range of merchandise that would eventually earn $1 billion. The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards.

Working again with George Lucas, Spielberg next directed Harrison Ford in the Raiders of the Last Ark prequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) – another blockbuster hit. It won an Academy Award for Best Special Effects.

In 1984, Spielberg, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy formed

Amblin Entertainment, and between 1984 and 1990 Spielberg was either producer or executive producer on nineteen feature films. Much of his work was aimed at children and teens, including some cartoons.

Beginning in 1985, NBC offered Spielberg a two-year contract on a TV series Amazing Stories. He was given creative control and a budget of $1 million for each episode. After two seasons the series was not renewed. His involvement as producer brought mixed critical acclaim, and he began scaling back this responsibility.

Nevertheless, in 1994 he found success producing the successful medical drama ER.

Spielberg had started making films for Warner Bros. early in the 1980s. The Color Purple (1985), about African-American women during depression-era America was Spielberg’s first film about a serious matter, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. It was a box office hit and received eleven Academy Award nominations. Spielberg won Best Director from the Directors Guild of America.

In 1987, Spielberg shot Empire of the Sun (1987) in Shanghai – an adaptation of JG Ballard’s autobiographical novel of the same name, about a young boy who goes from living in a wealthy British family in Shanghai to living in a prisoner of war Japanese internment camp, suffering disease and starvation. Although nominated for six Academy Awards, the film was a disappointment at the box office.

Spielberg directed the third Indiana Jones film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) working with Harrison Ford, with Sean Connery in a supporting role. It was a box office success and earned $474 million.

In 1989, Spielberg reunited with Richard Dreyfuss in the romantic drama Always – a remake of A Guy Named Joe (1943) – one of his childhood favourites. The film received mixed reviews and was commercially unsuccessful.

• Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia.

(l-r) Kate Capshaw and her future husband, Steven Spielberg, with George Lucas and Harrison Ford on the set of ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of

SPIELBERG on the set of ‘Jaws’ (1975); considered the first blockbuster

The roots of the Bahamas’ national sport

Whenever I say the word culture, at least one person will say Junkanoo, as if there were no other culture in the Bahamas; but this is far from true. The fundamental part of Bahamian culture is sailing. And, to my delight, it is now our national sport.

In 1648, 70 people sailed from Bermuda to Eleuthera on two ships, bringing with them food, seeds and farm tools for their survival. However, not knowing the waters of the Bahamas, the William, the bigger of the two, sailed onto a reef and was lost, taking nearly all of the supplies with it.

Sailing got them into trouble and sailing came to their rescue, when Captain William Sayle (leader of Puritan settlers) sailed his shallop some 1,200 miles round-trip to fetch life-saving supplies.

The very nature of the archipelago demanded travel by sea, and Bahamians mastered the art of travelling on wind-powered boats. For generations sloops, schooners and smacks were at the forefront of inter-island travel and communication.

Kendal Butler, who has researched the history of boats, boatbuilders and their importance to the lives of Bahamians throughout our islands, explains that boatbuilders provided an island’s connection with New Providence, for travel and supplies. Any island that did not have its own boats was dependent on boatbuilding neighbours for the essentials of life.

Sailing was a way of life that produced poems that fill the reader with a nostalgia and wanderlust to be out in the elements; sea-soaked, salted and smiling.

John Masefield’s Sea Fever still inspired this feeling: “I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.”

This poem confronts the unromantic reality of grey days and the lonely maritime life.

As the late Jane Minns wrote: “(Many) years have passed since the

first Out Island Regatta was held in 1954. At that time, a fleet of fishing boats with wells sealed, canvas sails patched, and fresh paint hastily slapped on rough wooden hulls,

gathered in Elizabeth Harbour to race. And race they did. They were true working vessels. To increase their sail power many of the smacks added the smaller sails from their dinghies. In retrospect it’s difficult to believe that these vessels were the forerunners of today’s sleek hulls, with their high masts; built not for work but for the sole purpose of racing…”

This plaque, on the northern wall of St Matthew’s Anglican Church, is a monument to a sailor’s crossing the bar:

Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea, For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face, When I have crossed the bar.

• For questions and comments, please send an e-mail to islandairman@gmail.com

POSTCARDS from 1904

PAUL C ARANHA FORGOTTEN FACTS

All the Queen’s dogs

By KIM ARANHA Animal Matters

Every week I have to dedicate considerable time to choosing what to write about.

I try to mix up the lighthearted with the serious, the light and frothy with the (sometimes) sad and depressing.

Today was intended to be a serious article about the concerns we all have about the cane toads, but I have decided to wait until next week for that article.

In the meantime, I will revert to the British royal family, the coronation, and what I learned about Queen Camilla’s genuine love for animals and, in particular, her dogs.

Last week, I revealed to you that King Charles and Queen Camilla are the first to bring rescue dogs into Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth, of course, loved her corgis, but they didn’t come from a shelter.

The new king and queen own two Jack Russell terriers: Beth and Bluebell.

As I write this, I keep seeing my good friend Marina d’Aguilar in my mind. She had multiple Jack Russell terriers over the years. They were busy little fellows, and she loved them dearly. Her last adoption from the BHS was a little potcake that look very similar to her Jack Russell dogs.

Jack Russells used to be very popular in Nassau, with quite a lot of people I knew owning them and breeding them, not that I am pro breeding dogs in the Bahamas, but I must say the Jack Russells that were born here all found good and loving families.

This was clearly not the case for Beth and Bluebell as they landed in a shelter. What a moment when they were chosen by the future king and queen and what a delight that they neither knew or cared who was taking them home; they just felt loving arms and kind voices. They just knew that they were going to be

loved and cared for, for the rest of their lives.

That is one of the most wonderful things about owning an animal; they

have no interest who you are or what you own, all they know is if you are a “good guy” and if you treat them properly. The King and Queen’s arms are no different from yours or mine when it comes to giving a beloved pet a good cuddle.

I enjoy fashion and I loved looking at the reports of the dresses worn by the different guests at the coronation. Some of them were really fabulous. I thought that they were all nice (the pendulum is swinging back my way).

I would be remiss, at this point, not say how fabulous Ann-Marie Davis looked in her stunning yellow outfit, shining like the Bahamian sunshine… But wait a minute, this is not an article about fashion. No, it is not, but it does focus on one particular dress worn at the coronation.

Queen Camilla wore a beautiful white (as tradition requires) dress designed by British designer Bruce Oldfield, with elaborate gold embroidery on the bottom of the gown. Her new royal cypher was positioned in the centre. There were flowers and discretely placed were the names of her grandchildren plus two beautifully embroidered, bold and handsome Jack Russell terriers.

What an awesome tribute to her pets! What a shot in the arm to all of us involved in rescue! What greater tribute could these two sweet little dogs receive on the biggest day of their humans’ lives?

Want to bet, Beth and Bluebell were both snuggled on a sofa sleeping whilst all the festivities were

taking place, full tummies and oblivious of their start in a shelter.

King or queen, bus driver or housekeeper, dogs don’t care, they just want care and love. They do not judge us for how much we have, what social positions we hold, or what our address is, they judge us in much more real, meaningful terms and standards. Pets bring us all together on the same platform.

As stated in last week’s article, US President Joe Biden adopted a shelter dog. This was a highly publicised event and delighted rescuers around America at the time. Unfortunately, the dog, Major, was somewhat unreliable with visitors and was involved in a couple of bite incidents and now lives away from the White House in a less hectic home environment.

There are many stars and famous people who adopt from shelters and we are always excited and grateful when this occurs, but only because it shines a positive light on adoptions… one good home is much like another. The required components are very similar: love, care, attention, kindness, understanding and then more love.

Hopefully, this article encourages people to consider adoption before buying. Also, remember there are rescue groups for specific breeds if you have your heart set on a particular dog.

Thank you, Queen Camilla, for caring so much about your dogs that you included them in your coronation.

He loves going on the dog walks and likes being around other dogs; cats, not so much.

Have you been looking for some good company in your life? Elton might just be your perfect match! Call 325-6742 for more information or come into the BHS during adoption hours (11am to 3pm, Monday to Saturday). Elton looks forward to sharing a song with you!

Come to the Bahamas Humane Society to take a look at Elton, if you’ve been thinking about adopting. Elton is about four years old and has recently been declared heartworm-free so he’s footloose and fancy free, and ready to go to a home of his own.

• Looking for some exercise? Want to help socialise some of the adoption dogs? Then come and join the weekly dog walks! Wednesdays at 10am. For more information, check out the Animal Lovers Nassau page at Facebook. It’s a fun way to help the dogs experience some ‘out of cage’ time!

QUEEN Camilla during the coronation at Westminster Abbey, in London, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (Andrew Matthews/ Pool via AP)

‘Don’t go breaking my heart…’

By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY

(Photo/Judy Young)

pet of the week

On the move with real Bahamian food Androsian cook enjoys successful food truck business in South Florida

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net

BORN and raised in Andros, Carlesia Thompson always had a passion for cooking, whether it was whipping up delicious dishes for her family and friends or for large functions and events.

For the past eight years, she has resided in South Florida, and she felt it was time to offer her new community an authentic taste of the Bahamas. She is now doing this with her new food truck which she christened the Andros Souse House.

With this family-run eatery-onwheels, she told Tribune Weekend, she strives to serve traditional Bahamian cuisine “done the right way”.

In the works since 2019, the food truck served its first customers in March of last year. Since opening, Carlesia said she has been receiving great support from the thousands of Floridians and Bahamians who have patronised the business.

When it comes to being a Bahamian entrepreneur living abroad, Carlesia said she enjoys just being able share her native cooking and culture with others.

“Very often when we are in a foreign place, we become homesick, and being able to provide a home away home experience makes it rewarding. Additionally, we are able to connect with our Bahamian community. This overwhelming feeling of love allows us to establish our presence in a major way and bring our paradise to the world,” she said.

At the Andros Souse House, customers, of course, will find different types of souse, as well as local favourites like cracked conch, ‘chicken in da bag’ stew conch, conch salad and more. They also specialise in catering.

“Most Americans have a story about their last cruise to the Bahamas and how good the food was, and they try our food and it’s even better than they remembered. Overall, they

are very receptive and supportive of our food and culture,” she said.

“Growing up in Andros, we no doubt have the best cooks. Don’t fight me on this,” she joked. “My mom, Hildamae, who is also an Androsian queen, taught me everything I know.”

Carlesia is supported in her food truck venture by her five children: Jaforria, Rickayla, Zyon, Zyaire and Zaevion. They have all been there from the start, going through the process of opening a business with her.

She said the design of the food truck was inspired by her “go big or go home” Bahamian mentality. Carlesia said her love for colourful décor was also a factor. She wanted something attention-grabbing.

The Andros Souse House can usually be found travelling around in the Miami Dade and Broward Counties of the Sunshine State.

To find out where the food truck will be next, visit Andros Souse House on social media.

THE ANDROS Souse House food truck serves up authentic Bahamian food