– Filmmaker Richard B Mahase is proud he followed his passion

AS a boy growing up on the beautiful island of Leguan in the Essequibo River, Richard B Mahase always knew that he had it in him to someday make it big in the country’s arts field. Although life was not a ‘bed of roses’ for him in his early days, he kept in mind what his strengths were and used each opportunity he got to capitalise on them.
From living a somewhat nomadic life to ensure a meal and place to sleep, to now launching a movie in Guyana that accords with international standards, Mahase shared his story with the Pepperpot Magazine a few days ago.
He is currently here to promote a film he wrote and directed called, ‘The Tenants,’ which will premiere at Caribbean Cinemas tomorrow night.

Early Beginnings

Mahase was born at Suddie, and spent the first 10 years of his life between Anna Regina and Henrietta, all Essequibo Coast villages. In 1971, his parents Frank and Shirley (now deceased) moved him and his siblings to Leguan, where he continued his education at Endeavour Primary.

“Leguan is a paradise beyond compare. It is a magical place for me. The Essequibo Coast is also unique. Anna Catherina, Cornelia Ida, and Hague are my three favourite villages on the WCD.”
Mahase then wrote both the College of Preceptors (CP) and Preliminary Certificate Examinations in 1973 and gained enough subjects to secure a place at Stewartville Secondary School on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), where he would travel by boat from Leguan in the morning and return by afternoon until the time that he found accommodations on the WCD.

“I was a really poor student. I was good at nothing except English and Literature. So I saw my whole life in the literary field, artistic field. I always felt in my heart of hearts that English, History, Literature…my fascination was always there,” Mahase expressed.
The family couldn’t afford him a university education, although it was what he wanted. “I wanted to do UG, but the truth is, we couldn’t afford it financially. And even if I could’ve gone further educationally, I did not have funding or finances or a place to stay. I was staying at an extremely poor family on the WCD, who looked after me. In fact, I lived from day to day at different friends’ homes in order to get a meal and a place to sleep.”
Fortunately, he did manage to do some creative writing classes with former poet and political activist Martin Carter (now deceased), according to what his finances could’ve allowed him. “His classes were invaluable. We found each other and for about two years, I enjoyed his company.”

Although not having a lot of qualifications, Mahase landed a job at the Guyana Chronicle after his interview with Courtney Gibson and Raschid Osman (both media personnel who are now deceased). He began in the proofreading department and worked for many years until he was appointed sub-editor and then, columnist.

Agree to Disagree

Mahase recalled that even as a boy, his passion was always in the arts. “I always wanted to do something with radio, television, and I had a fascination with creating things,” he said.
Regularly going to the cinema on the island also fuelled his desire and interests. “There was the ‘Viola’ Cinema (named after former President Forbes Burnham’s wife) in Leguan. We used to go to that cinema as young boys. My good friends and still my buddy friends are Mr Cuffy, David Roopa, Mankat, Swami, Robert, Dhan, Jaws. That bundle of friends and a few more…we grew up together as dreamers.”

Mahase always admired legendary broadcaster Pancho Carew. “We went to cinema. I told myself I wanted to be like him on the radio and I actually got to work with him before he passed away.”

It was in the 1980s that he wrote what went on to become the popular and well-loved ‘Agree to Disagree’ sitcom, which many persons initially thought would not be successful.
“It was a sitcom that was meant to bridge the divide that was taking place in our country. Of course, some people found it disagreeable, but the majority of people enjoyed it. For many years, while people said things, I did not stand to defend the product. I said time will be the judge of the product.

“It was at a time when this country didn’t have any sitcoms; hadn’t had the kind of laughter that I was able to bring about. I was watching TV and listening to the radio about all that was taking place in our country and said I wanted to do something different. No one thought it was a good idea, but I did it and it went on to be broadcast for several years,” Mahase expressed.

The Tenants
After succeeding with the comedy show, Mahase felt he wanted to press on to something else. “And the other spectrum is drama. I said to myself that it has to be a movie or a really good series. And I had a lot of ideas.”

He went to the United States to move his ideas forward and fortunately encountered a good friend, George Subraj (now deceased), with whom he partnered to make ‘The Tenants,’ a dramatic film centred on the work that Subraj did for a living. “I now live abroad because I wanted to expand my horizon and what I do as an artist. I wanted to learn technically how to do my craft at the highest level.”

Expressing how he felt about being able to make a film, Mahase expressed: “Since I was a little boy, I always wanted to make artistic contributions to my country. While I didn’t go to film school per se, I read a lot of film-making. There is no sense of nervousness or anticipation in me, because I have about four projects lined up that I am so eager to do tomorrow. I just want to get to my next project.”

Mahase said he is guided by simple rules in life. “Humility tops ego; respect trumps arrogance, and discipline is the key to starting any relationship that you hope to be something beneficial.”