Strength and beauty… and she shall be missed
Caribbean Life, FEBRUARY 12-18, 2021 31
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Man, you’re picky.
That’s not always a bad thing,
either. You know what you want
so you choose deliberately, carefully,
with plenty of thought
behind it. What’s right for you
is right for you and you won’t
take anything less. As in the
new memoir “Just As I Am”
by Cicely Tyson (with Michelle
Burford), folks’ll just have to
deal with it.
Born in New York City a few
days before Christmas 1924,
Cicely Tyson’s first real memory
was of a place, one where her
parents fought, physically and
verbally, over her father’s infidelities.
She was sensitive to
everything she heard in the next
room as she and her brother and
sister slept on a pull-out couch,
and she recalled times when she
tried to stop the brawling.
She was a good church-going
girl then, and while her mother
had ideas for Tyson’s future,
young Cicely knew she wanted
a life that was different than
that of her mother. Though she
loved “the arts,” she decided to
become a hairdresser but before
she could graduate from high
school, Tyson became pregnant
and was made to marry the
baby’s father.
Later divorced, she was working
downtown when someone
approached her on her lunchtime,
asking her if she was a
model. When she said, “no,” he
told her that she should be one.
Almost like in the movies, that
led Tyson to a friend of a friend
who signed her to an agency
and there, she was spotted by
someone else who knew of a
movie director who hired her
for her first role. He instructed
Tyson to shave 10 years off her
age.
“Six decades would go by,”
she said, “before I let the public
in on what was frankly never
any of their business.”
And that line should give you
most of the encouragement you
need to want to read “Just As I
Am.” Nobody could ever accuse
the late actor Cicely Tyson of
being shy.
Even so, she wrote (with
Michelle Burford) that she was
initially a quiet child, and this,
framed by a childhood tainted
by Jim Crow racism and a
stormy relationship with her
mother, make up the bulk of the
first half of the book. Tyson also
wrote of a dangerous innocence
that led to early motherhood;
on that, she declines to call
her daughter by name, which
is an interesting aspect that differs
from the usual Hollywood
memoir.
One other way that “Just As I
Am” stands out from the usual:
while Tyson name-drops here,
it comes across less showy and
more familiar, which is refreshing.
Her lengthy — and carefully
managed, award-winning
career — makes up the latter
half of this book, as do tales of
her loves, including the red-hot,
on-again/off-again, frustrating
romance with musician Miles
Davis.
For fans of Cicely Tyson’s
work on stage and screen, this
is a thorough look at more than
just that career. Biography lovers
will also want to know that
if you’re ready for your next
book, “Just As I Am” is the one
to pick.
“Just As I Am” by Cicely
Tyson with Michelle
Burford
c.2021, Harper Collins
$28.99 / $35.99 Canada
416 pages
Book cover of “Just As I Am” by Cicely Tyson with Michelle Burford.
‘One Year Off’ finds Nevis safe heaven for filming during COVID-19
By Tangerine Clarke
“One Year Off,” a comedy feature
film, will be shot on the
Island of Nevis, a safe heaven for
filming during the coronavirus
pandemic, according to producer
Philippe Martinez, who is in the
process of casting for the ensemble
comedy.
Matinez and Stewart Thomas
wrote the film that will be
directed by Brad Watson, from
an original idea by Martinez, and
will be the first film announced
under a two-picture production
that MSR Media has negotiated
with the Nevis Island Administration
(NIA).
According to the release, stringent
COVID-19 guidelines have
helped Nevis become a COVID
safe zone. A cast and crew of
about 50 people have started to
arrive in Nevis amid strict protective
measures.
Premier of Nevis, Mark Brantley
said, “Nevis is uniquely
placed to develop a world class
film industry. My government is
agile, responsive and aggressively
seeking to partner with filmmakers
to develop this industry on
Nevis.”
“The island is warm and welcoming
with stunning mountains
and beaches and a people
who epitomize hospitality. The
Caribbean is one of the most
beautiful places in the world and
Nevis is one of the most beautiful
places in the Caribbean.
“In a world now beset with
the COVID-19 pandemic, Nevis
continues to be one of the safest
places in the world with very
few cases, no community spread
and to date no COVID related
deaths.”
Martinez stated, “We are
extremely proud to announce this
partnership with the government
of Nevis. Premier Mark Brantley’s
vision to develop the film industry
is clear and exciting. During
our negotiations we have found
his team wonderfully efficient
and reliable partners. We plan to
shoot four films in the Caribbean
in 2021 and are overjoyed to kick
off with “One Year Off” on Nevis.
All of us at MSR Media hope to
contribute to the development of
the entertainment industry that
will benefit the people of Nevis
while offering a safe place for film
productions.”
“We certainly look forward to
the development of a robust film
industry and welcome film producers
to consider our island for
their next film venture.”
Speaking of the partnership,
Jadine Yarde, CEO of the Nevis
Tourism Authority said: “We are
delighted to be working with
MSR Media to bring two very
exciting movie productions to
fruition and we are thrilled that
the Producer and his team have
chosen to collaborate with Nevis.