Meadows student makes film debut

When Bechir Sylvain visited the Bahamas two years ago, he was not looking to spend a relaxing vacation on a beautiful beach or exchange friendly smiles with some glorious gals; instead, he was simply looking to get his foot in the door.

Sylvain, a junior theatre major at SMU, spent the summer of 2003 filming “The Bahama Hustle,” and he views the experience as a good start to what will hopefully become a solid lifestyle down the road.

“This business is so hard to get into,” the Miami, Fla., native said of the acting industry, “but somehow I am being guided and pushed down the right path.”

Starring comedic film duo Dr. Dre and Ed Lover, “The Bahama Hustle” follows two undiscovered rappers as they run into (and away from) trouble while trying to jump-start their careers.

For Sylvain, the lore of a motion picture set was enhanced by the fact that he was able to collaborate with his best friend, fellow actor Sheaun McKinney, for the first time. “[McKinney] is very well-respected and known as one of the best young actors in Miami,” Sylvain explained.

He went on to describe the technical differences between performing in front of an audience or in front of a camera.

“In film your actions are captured and represented much clearer than in theatre,” he said. “You have a lot of freedom when you don’t have to project as much.”

“On the stage … we don’t have the privilege of having a close-up shot, so you have no choice but to make big choices.”

In addition, Sylvain took some viewers by surprise by assuming the role of funny-man. “Many people never saw me do the comedy,” he said, “so this was quite a shock for some of my friends.”

As for his final year-and-a-half as an undergraduate in Meadows School of the Arts, Sylvain looks forward to honing the acting skills he has accumulated thus far.

“Being in the theatre program is one path that was chosen for me,” he said, “and I am very grateful.

“What makes this very memorable is the fact that I’m doing what I love, and it gives me a lot of hope that this was meant for me.”