Ingrid Jean Baptiste apart from being the founder of The Chelsea Film Festival, Ingrid is also an actress. Ingrid stars in ‘GOYAVE‘ a 22 Minute musical Short Film telling the story of Guava Béké, seeking its place in Martinique society in the context of the 2009 general strike.
Goyave stars Ingrid Jean-Baptiste, Mehdi Giguet, Bernard Domergue, and Zeline Setham. Nénéb doubles at the co-writer with Christophe Agelan and director of Goyave
indieactivity: How did you get connected to the project? Did you have to audition? If you did, would still have got the part?
Ingrid: I met the producer and director of the film a few years ago, and from the start they told me they had a project in the works that I would be great for. I did not audition the formal way, however I sent a lot of different videos of myself playing the character.
indieactivity: As one of the main cast on the project, how did this ‘choice’ work for you?
Ingrid: I was much honored to accept this role and everything worked perfectly well on set.
indieactivity: What part of the story challenged you when you read it? What drove you to get on the project?
Ingrid: I really wanted to be authentic in my speech and behavior. The character is from Martinique, she speaks creole French and I wanted to make sure I perfected the accent. This was kind of a challenge.
The story was the first reason I accepted to be a part of it. You don’t get to read or watch a lot of stories about this particular event that happened in the French Caribbean at that time.
Ingrid Jean-Baptiste, and Mehdi Giguet
indieactivity: You’re not new to indie films. What do you enjoy about the work that keeps you working?
Ingrid: Indie filmmakers are full of passion and drive, which is a very different energy on set. They put their heart and soul into every single minute that passes by. You also learn all the different jobs on a production and live and breathe the project. It’s just so much fun, I’m grateful to do what I love!
indieactivity: Give an example of a direction you received from the director during the production?
Ingrid: Oops, I honestly don’t remember. I am usually is such a zone when I’ve acting, that I can’t recall anything specific.
indieactivity: How did you create your character from ground up?
Ingrid: I had to do a lot of research about the period, the location and then dig deep into my personal experiences to understand the character better and match her feelings, speech and behavior.
indieactivity: As main cast on the film, describe the feeling of responsibility that you shouldered. Were you scared? Or did it fire you up? What scenes where difficult to shoot?
Ingrid: I wasn’t scared, however the challenge was to get the character right, make sure I find an authenticity in playing her. I wanted to please the expectations of the director. The difficult scenes were the singing parts in creole.
indieactivity: Explain one creative choice you made on set during production?
Ingrid: I usually listen to music before a scene in order to feel the moment.
indieactivity: What did you take away from the film production?
Ingrid: I learned a lot from my acting partner and one thing that I took away was the collaborative effort that came out of this production. It was very special, not like any productions I have been involved in.
indieactivity: What do you like most about the director, and his/her collaboration with his/her team?
Ingrid: It was actually 2 directors, they were both very easy to work with and did not feel so stressed which helped the actors on set. Lovely to work with!
indieactivity: What is next for you?
Ingrid: I have been cast as a principal character in a feature film that will be shooting in France. Very exciting about that project, that will involve a lot of wild animals.
indieactivity: What advice do you give actors regarding what you learnt on the project?
Ingrid: To enjoy the moment. We are given special opportunities as actors, we have to remember that these moments don’t last. So make sure you serve the role to the fullest!
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