5 months ago
33
The journey of award-winning actor, author, filmmaker, and entrepreneur Jacinth Headlam, the founder and CEO of Jacinth Media Productions, has been transformative, to say the least.
Born in Richmond, St Mary, Headlam migrated to the US at an early age and has worked hard to achieve the success that is now her hallmark. She was in Jamaica recently on a promotional blitz for Love After Holidays, set to première on Friday, February 7, at Carib 5.
The film, which draws inspiration from her memoir, Love After, features a powerhouse cast, including Paul Campbell, Malik Yoba, Richard Bird, Jeremy Meeks, Trina and Headlam herself. It explores the emotional aftermath of divorce, focusing on the struggles of rebuilding life and the effects on the children of that union.
“Film and the arts saved my life. When I hit rock bottom and felt like life wasn’t worth living any more, it was putting pen to paper that turned into a book, and that book became a movie. During my divorce, when life left me bankrupt and broken, I had to tap into my ‘love after’, my new beginning.”
She got her break in the industry when she was introduced to Nigerian film-maker Diemiruaye Deniran. He cast her in D iary of a Badman, and it won Best Feature Film at the JAMPRO Film Festival in 2015.
The mother of one is passionate advocate for youth empowerment, and through her company, she helps aspiring authors transform their stories into published works, build legacies, and create multiple streams of income while gaining recognition for their narratives.
When did you know that you wanted to pursue acting as a career and how far did you want it to take you?
The only limitations are what I put on myself and from Diary of a Badman I know wanted to do film, so I started to produce and create my own, which led me to this right here, Love After Holidays. So if it wasn’t for Diary of a Badman that wouldn’t have been possible.
You are that little girl from St Mary. Take us back to your days in Jamaica
Growing up in Richmond, St Mary I remember walking to the river, fetching water ... bathing at the river. I remember sometimes walking barefoot. Five of us to a bed ... if a one bulla, we all a eat piece a bulla. If a five slices a hard dough bread and some condensed milk we all making it stretch. I was raised by my grandmother, Lucilda Jackson, and she was a powerhouse. She showed me the strength of a woman. She lost her husband when I was young. I think Daddy Frank died when I was like eight and to see her being so strong, I admired that.
Fill us in on some of your acting credentials
After Diary of a Badman I started to do a lot of commercials. And then from there I started to do films ... Lola I and II. Google me, I can’t remember them all. I’m just a student still soaking it up, still learning.
Who are some of the fascinating people who you have met along the journey.
Paul Campbell. Growing up as a creative from Jamaica, I always wanted to work with him. And to be able to have him in my film ... one of my biggest bucket lists. I’m so grateful to be working alongside Paul Campbell ... growing up watching Cool Runnings with the Jamaican bobsled team. And watching Malik Yoba in Why Did I Get Married, you know his resume is endless ... to work alongside him is priceless. And to work alongside Trina, who is an amazing woman in the entertainment industry. And Jeremy Meeks .... so humble, down to Earth ... who plays my leading actor in Love After Holidays. And the list goes on. You come across so many amazing people ... directors, cast and crew.
What do you like best about Jamaica?
The food. I love to travel and no matter what country I go to, what island I’ve, we hands down have the best food globally ... worldwide. There’s something about the taste, no matter that the customer service might not be the best, the food a go taste so good. And our culture man. When they say ‘ Come to Jamaica and feel all right.” When I come out of that airport, there’s a certain energy that Jamaica has ... you feel it and it just hits you like a ton of bricks. It’s beautiful when I’m outside and the food ... and the fruits dem ... It’s the energy the island has. I don’t think you guys know how powerful this island is. We have a certain energy that is like priceless.
English (US) ·