Up close and personal with Christine King
Tragedy, triumph and Kiwanis service
You don’ t usually meet people as happy and warm as Christine King. Her quiet, shy but bold demeanor and inviting smile instantly draws you to her.
Christine King was born on March 15th 1972 in Nassau, Bahamas. Born to teenage parents, she had to be cared for by grandparents Nathaniel and Abigail Gilbert and her Aunt Queen. At the tender age of 4 months she was taken from New Providence( Nassau) by Aunt Queen to reside with her on Cat Island; this is where she spent her early formative years. She received her early education at New Bight Primary and Old Bight Junior / Senior Schools later transferring to Grand Bahama, another in the chain of The Bahama Islands, where she was further cultivated by her father and graduated with honors in 1989 from Hawksbill High School. Life was not easy but rather interesting for Christine and most times fun but perplexing. She first met her dad when she was nine years old and her mom at thirteen. Just three years after meeting her dad, Christine found herself living with the man she’ d dreamed about for so long. She said she’ d often sit and wonder what his face looked like, but one day he showed up and she did not have to imagine any longer.“ When I was old enough to know that I had a father, it was always in the back of my head as to who he was,” she explains.“ One day in Cat Island a lady came to my grandmother and told her that my dad was at the restaurant and wanted to know if he could meet with us. My grandmother, with a curious but excited look on her face said to me,“ Let’ s go!” I could see us walking up the street right now. We got there; he introduced himself to my grandmother and picked me up with a smile on his face. He spoke to my Grammy. He then asked me what I wanted and without hesitation I said a bicycle and that Christmas I got my desire, my first bike; a white and pink one with a little basket on the handles.” She smiles as her mind jogs this pleasant memory.“ We kept in touch by letters and then occasional telephone calls when we
Christine King, General Manager of The Paint Place
finally got house phone back in the early 80’ s.” Christine was always a bright and intelligent child so much so
RISING STAR:
Calvin Dwight Harris, Bahamian Filmmaker
Calvin Dwight Harris was born on the sunny Caribbean island of New Providence, which is among the seven hundred islands and chains that make up the Bahamas. In 1988, at the age of 18, Calvin left home on a track and field scholarship to attend Murray State University. After transferring to the University of Idaho in 1990, Calvin graduated with an Engineering Degree in 1994 and soon afterward moved to Denver, Colorado. His love for watching movies and a passion to one day make a difference in the film industry is what inspired Calvin to become a filmmaker. With an inspired vision, Calvin founded Harris Entertainment in the spring of 2004. The first film released under the Harris Entertainment banner was; " On The Wings of Men." This film explored the life of the first Prime Minister of the
that at the age of twelve she sat and passed six BJC’ s and began studying for the GCE exams. She was fast tracked to the 11th grade and sat in classes with students three years her senior. After hearing all of this her father knew that he could do more and built up the courage to ask her grandmother to give him custody. Upon learning of the news Christine said,“ I want to go. I was just always inquisitive about my dad and having him show that interest I never wanted to lose him again. Somehow I did not know either of my parents by my dad was always on my mind more than my mom.
Christine’ s grandmother was faced with a challenge, she prayed and one day after school she invited Christine to sit with her. This is when she popped the question and asked Christine, twelve years old what she wanted.“ I said YES! I want to go” Her grandmother, teary eyed looked and her and said,“ I will let you go”; she
Calvin Harris
Bahamas; Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling, and his fight against US foreign policies in the 1980 ' s during the drug war. This film was released in 2011. On The Wings of Men won the audience award for Best Documentary Film at further said,“ I am getting old, there is not much here for you, the world is bigger than Cat Island and I will soon can’ t take care of you.”
It was summer 1985, Christine’ s father requested the usual; that she spend the summer with his parents, Rev. Octavious and Winifred King, who also lived on Cat Island about 25 miles North of her mom’ s parents. Christine was quite accustomed to that as ever since meeting her father he would ask that she spend schools breaks with his parents. Usually after summer breaks Christine would prepare for the planned road journey down south to get ready for the new school term. This time it was different, very different in that Christine was leaving the island for the first time in her life. It was August, 1985 when a twin engine 6 seat Cessna 401 buzzed over the home twice. Christine was dressed and ready as she knew it was her father who had come to rescue her.
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the 8th Annual Bahamas International Film Festival( 2011) and was nominated for Best Documentary Film at the Montreal Black International Film Festival( 2012) and the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival( 2012). Calvin Dwight Harris is currently Producing the upcoming feature length documentary film entitled; " Perfect Feet " the movie. This film will take a look at one man ' s journey to find the perfect set of feet. Because of his work on this film, Mr. Harris became inspired to create a New charity event called the " Show Me Your Feet " campaign. This charity was designed to raise awareness about the issues diabetics may face with their feet and to raise money to find an eventual cure for diabetes. Calvin Dwight Harris career in the film industry has grown as a Writer, Director, Producer.