From the moment it was announced in early August that Green Days by the River would open the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, the excitement quickly grew to a fever pitch as many literary enthusiasts anxiously awaited to see the classic characters come alive on the big screen.

The National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) was filled to capacity on Tuesday as the TT Film Festival kicked off.

The cast of Green Days by the River were not the only ones who stepped on the red carpet; author Michael Anthony also got star treatment. Although he had not seen the film ahead of time, he indicated that he was honoured and even a bit surprised by all the buzz around the book.

UWI medical student Nadia Kandhai never set out to be a movie star. However, a random meeting on a flight to Tobago set her on the path to play Rosalie, the female lead in Green Days by the River movie, that will be screened at the gala opening of the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (ttff) next weekend.
“I’m a third-year medical school student,” said Khandhai as she reflects on how she ended up playing the lead female character.

“I met Christian (James) on a flight to Tobago. He told me I looked like what he imagined Rosalie would look like, I auditioned and here I am,” said Khadhai in a media release.

She is one of just under 100 local actors that bring Michael Anthony’s beloved novel Green Days by the River to the big screen nationwide on September 27.