SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--A large crowd turned out at the Philipsburg Community Centre on the evening of Saturday, August 23, to witness the premiere of Peter Sagnia's latest film, "Consumed." Written by local poet and screenwriter Anderson Percival, the film, which is set in St. Maarten, tells a story of revenge and obsession.

Born in London, England, Sagnia is a playwright who has been working in the Caribbean for a number of years. He has several plays under his belt and centres on spreading the Gospel through theatre. Sagnia called the release of the film "a stepping stone" in his career.

"I know where I want to be," he said, acknowledging that he still has much to learn and perfect in the art of filmmaking. "I'm not there yet." Through this and other films, Sagnia aims to become a better storyteller and filmmaker, and better tap into what he describes as the wealth of talent that St. Maarten has to offer.

Consumed tells the story of Johnny Richards, a prisoner who is about to get an early release due to political changes in St. Maarten, and Maria, the widow of the man whom Richards had killed, as she struggles to deal with what she believes to be a great injustice.

The film was produced with a zero budget, which means that the entire cast and crew comprised volunteers who enthusiastically gave their time and energy to help bring the story to life. It stars Darin "King Vers" Hodge, Gary "Gee Money" Euton, Fabian Badejo, and Victoria Regales, as well as a host of other local actors. This was the acting debut for many of the cast members. Production Manager Claudie Choisy, better known as Essynce, was responsible for all of the film's settings, costumes and props, and enjoyed showcasing the beauty of St. Maarten through the film. In all, the film took roughly 20 days to shoot.

The cast members were present for the premiere having not seen the film beforehand and were all as delighted as the audience to see the final result of their work. The audience was happy to see not only the acting prowess of familiar faces on the big screen, but also familiar scenes from around the island being featured as well. "Excellent," said one viewer, applauding as the credits rolled. "I really enjoyed it."

Anderson Percival, who wrote the original screenplay, was particularly overjoyed to see what became of his ideas. "When I first wrote it, it was going to be a short film," he said, noting that Sagnia had really helped to "flesh out" his original story. "Seeing the actors bringing the words to life is a great experience. I HOPE that people walk away with the message of the film, which is about forgiveness."

Consumed was shown for a second time at the Cultural Centre on Sunday, August 24, and will be released locally on DVD at a later date.