Documentary “Perfect Feet” to address Bahamas Diabetes Problem

After six years of travelling around the world and engaging in research, the Harris Entertainment Group are readying to launch their most recent film, “Perfect Feet” — a movie that spotlights foot care and its relationship to diabetes. The inaugural screening of the film will be held during the Bahamas International Film Festival on November 29 at 11 am at Galleria Cinemas, and at the Grand Hyatt, Baha Mar, on November 30, beginning at 7pm. Bahamian Calvin Dwight Harris is the filmmaker behind “Perfect Feet”. He started this project back in October 2013 in hopes of encouraging people to take better care of their feet. One of the things Calvin noted when he first started this project was that not everyone possesses a perfect pair of feet, himself included. The movie takes a look into such industries like fashion (shoes and socks), cosmetics, media, athletics, healthcare and art. He hopes at the end of the film viewers realise that there is much more to healthy feet than nicely shaped toes, groomed nails and the absence of corns or calluses. The journey to this end product was a long process for the filmmaker, who travelled to Denver, Los Angeles, Salina, Miami, Boston and Atlanta, as well as to Haiti and the Dominican Republic for his work. “There were times we experienced some logistical challenges with getting all of our equipment into two of the foreign countries we visited. Both my cinematographer and I got sick on two separate occasions. And the biggest problem any independent filmmaker runs into when creating a high-concept feature documentary film money. We certainly had our fair share of having to dig deep into our pockets to make this film a reality,” he told Tribune Weekend. The film also highlights diabetes, an issue that is close to Calvin’s heart, as he is a type 2 diabetic and lost his brother to the disease in 2001. “It is important to note that my company is collaborating with several medical professionals and the Bahamas Diabetic Association to launch a national campaign, to sound the alarm and raise awareness to the horrible impact diabetes is having in the Bahamas,” he said. “As it stands right now, the Bahamas has the highest rate per capita for type 2 diabetes in the region. There is an average of 1,000 amputations per year in the country that are directly linked to diabetes. The statistics are truly alarming. Our overall objective is to not just raise awareness, but to also offer solutions with regards to preventative measures that can be taken. With the level of impact that diabetes is having in our country, we can only hope to get full support of our Bahamian viewers, to take advantage of the viewing opportunities, and to participate in our awareness objectives. Tickets for the special screening can be purchased by logging onto www. bin tlfilmfest.com