By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 24, 2023 — Prime Minister Philip E. Davis today posted a collection of photos on Facebook taken during his meeting with movie mogul Tyler Perry that I unquestionably had to share with readers of my online publication, BAHAMAS CHRONICLE, which has a huge following among the Bahamian diaspora across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom as well as in The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean.
Perry was accompanied by the renowned Bahamian religious leader, Bishop Neil C. Ellis, who retired in December of 2022 as the Senior Pastor of Mount Tabor Baptist Church, which he founded in February of 1987.
Of course, Perry is not a stranger to The Bahamas. Indeed, his ninth feature film, “Why Did I Get Married TOO”, which was released in 2007, was filmed mostly on the island of Eleuthera.
According to a published report at the time., “The Atlanta-based Perry has purchased a small island in The Bahamas that he uses for respite, reflection, privacy and a quiet place to cull his thoughts.”
Perry was quoted as saying, “This was really a place that I wanted to go because I discovered something that I don’t think a lot of people in America know. When people think Bahamas, they think Nassau, which is a great island, and I think it is the heartbeat of the Bahamas, but when I found some of the other islands, I was blown away by the beauty here.
“I want people to visit because I’m very proud and very inspired by this place. I come here to write; I come here to vacation; I come here to get away and unwind and I thought there could not be a better place than The Bahamas for ‘Why Did I Get Married TOO.’ After the film was done, I felt the pressure of wondering if I captured enough of the beauty of this place. I hope audiences will be pleased when they see it because there wasn’t a better backdrop for the film.”
While Perry is currently visiting Nassau, I certainly hope he meets Her Excellency Governor-General Cynthia A. Pratt, who published her autobiography a couple years ago. Undoubtedly, Cynthia “Mother” Pratt’s life story could be turned into a great movie. I actually made this suggestion in an email with an article on her swearing-in as Governor-General that I sent to Perry at an address I got from the Internet, but I did not get a response. Hopefully, Bishop Ellis will see that Perry gets a copy of her biography before he leaves Nassau.
Prime Minister Davis posted the photos taken during his meeting with Perry with the following narrative:
“It was a pleasure to welcome @tylerperry to the Bahamas as we celebrate 50 years of independence. I had the opportunity to discuss my administration’s plan to develop our orange economy with him. I am optimistic about what this means for our country and look forward to Mr. Perry’s valuable collaboration in the future.”
