Watson film premieres Sunday
THIS Sunday, February 1 will see the world premiere of They Call Me Barrington — of a film on the life and work Jamaican master painter Barrington Watson.
The film, a project of local filmmaker Lennie Little-White, will examine the life and art of the 83-year-old artist, and form the second in a trilogy of films on Jamaican icons in the arts, which started with Rex Nettleford (December 2013) and is to be concluded with poet/cultural ambassador, Louise Bennett-Coverley — Miss Lou.
Sunday’s premiere is set for the iconic Carib cinema in the Corporate Area.
Little-White told the Jamaica Observer that Watson is the most outstanding painter in Jamaica.
“He broke many grounds, in that art wasn’t a hobby, you could earn a living from it. Today, he’s an inspiration to young artists. He’s in his 80s and still doing work,” he said.
The filmmaker added that the project, which is being funded “out-of-pocket”, will feature Watson “in his own words”. He has also used footage of the painter shot over a decade-and-a-half ago.