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Inside Season 2 of "Noh Matta Wat"
Tue, June 13, 2006

It's the closest Belize has ever gotten to having its own soap opera and while it doesn't have the cult following of Days of Our Lives or General Hospital, "No Matta Wat" will return to a television screen near you for season two this summer. One of eight new episodes debuts next month right here on Channel 7. Shooting is being rapped up and today 7NEWS was on location with some of the cast and characters. Keith Swift found out why 'No Matta Wat' matters.

Keith Swift Reporting,
This morning 7NEWS was on location for the filming of season two of "Noh Matta Wat." Today's location was the lawn of Saint John's College and the stars were Shakira Samuels and Ramon Joseph.

Shakira Samuels, "Lisani"
"Hi I am Shakira Samuels playing the character of Lisani Diego. In the last season of Noh Matta Wat she found out that her sister's mother was actually her mother so in this season we see those two bonding their relationship as mother and daughter, rather than sisters."

Ramon Joseph, "Jamie"
"I am Ramon Joseph. I play Jamie on the show. I am playing a sweet guy kind of role and I am attracted to the young lady and we are both optimistic about our work and what's not. I am just trying to divide my time with hers and I am just trying to get her attention. This is my first acting experience."

The drama debuted last year and it is scripted around the lives of the Ramirez family. You had granny, Tomasa, Margaret, Lisani, and Randy. Ramon Joseph is one of five new actors who have joined the cast. The show's co-creator is Howard University Professor Steven Berry.

Steven Berry, Co-Creator
"Part of my concept was to come on down and do production workshops and hopefully give a group of Belizeans the opportunity an the basics that they needed to tell a story and to tell their own stories. It is one thing to look at the television and see other people. We do that everyday but it is very very rare sometimes that you actually turn on the set and look up there and see something that you can directly relate to and directly identify with. Hopefully that (this) will be allowing the Belizean people or a segment of the Belizean population to actually see themselves and their own wants, needs, dreams, and desires represented in a dramatic format."

This year Berry brought along with him three of his film students from Howard University. Today's episode is being directed by Kelley Chatman. The scene at SJC is small and perhaps an inconsequential couple minutes from episode four of season two. But don't tell that to Chatman.

Kelley Chatman, Scene Director
"I am a director. I also shoot and edit so I am helping out. Each of us have own episode to direct and shoot so I am directing episode four. Today one of our old characters, Lisanni, is going to be meeting with a new character, Jamie, discussing school projects."

It will be Shakira Samuel's second time on screen and Ramon Joseph's first. And as with any other big name actors it came down to their lines.

Shakira Samuels,
"I don't have a lot of problems remembering the lines but its making those lines your own and not just somebody writing for you to learn. It is making those lines your lines and bringing it across as realistically as you possibly can."

Ramon Joseph,
"Actually its not really hard, its like school. You just study it and we had couple days to study the lines so it's just to do the part right."

Keith Swift,
Why did you want to be a part of this show?

Ramon Joseph,
"Well because I'll be in the public eye and a lot of people will be seeing my talent and that is something I always wanted to do."

Keith Swift,
You want to be on TV?

Ramon Joseph,
"Well you can say that too."

But more than just the opportunity to be in front of the cameras - both Ramon and Shakira say 'Noh Matta What' is giving them a chance to do something they never thought would be possible.

Ramon Joseph,
"It is good because then Belize we talent, we have a lot of young talented people that can do a lot of acting and its good to show our talent."

Shakira Samuels,
"It allows us as Belizean individuals to bring out something that is new to us our society because we don't have, we don't normally see Belizeans soap opera, some classy show. We normally put on a soap opera and I is usually something foreign, it is not local to our society."

And when the cameras roll that is perhaps why Noh Matta What will matter....a lot.

The show is co-created by Denvor Fairweather of Thirteen Productions. Episode one of season two airs on Tuesday night July 4th after 7NEWS. You can get a sneak peak of season two this Thursday at the Bliss Center where there will be a grand premier. And if you are wondering, the actors are paid.

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