From Starbucks to star power - Jacinth Headlam’s ‘Love After Holidays’ to début next month

Jacinth Headlam's rise from Starbucks to a celebrated actress and film-maker is nothing short of extraordinary.

Growing up in Richmond, St Mary, she fell in love with Nollywood films and used her earnings from Starbucks as a teenager to fund acting and modelling lessons.

Her big break came when her father introduced her to Nigerian film-maker Diemiruaye Deniran, who cast her in Diary of a Badman, the film, which won Best Feature Film at the JAMPRO Film Festival in 2015.

Now, Headlam is gearing up for the much-anticipated premiere of her latest film, Love After Holidays, set to debut on February 7 at Carib Theatre. Headlam, who leads the cast and penned the screenplay, drew inspiration from her motivational memoir, Love After. The book chronicles her journey through life's darkest moments and how she found the strength to rebuild.

"Film and the arts saved my life," Headlam revealed. "When I hit rock bottom and felt like life wasn't worth living anymore, it was putting pen to paper that turned into a book, and that book became a movie. During my divorce, when life left me bankrupt and broken, I had to tap into my 'love after' -- my new beginning."

The film features a powerhouse cast, including Paul Campbell, Malik Yoba, Richard Bird, Jeremy Meeks, and Headlam herself. It dives into the emotional aftermath of divorce, focusing on the struggles of rebuilding life and the ripple effects on children.

"To see everything come to life in the movie was very cathartic. In the movie, I almost lost my daughter. In the film, my character is a talk-show host and an alcoholic and she was just lost. It shows the impact it has on not just the divorcees, but the children as well. When a family splits up, how does that affect the children? ... that's the story that I want to tell. Oftentimes, we always see the mother getting the children, but, in this case, it was the dad who is the super dad," Headlam said.

Making Love After Holidays wasn't without its challenges. While a supportive friend helped secure some investors, Headlam had to take a bold leap of faith, taking out a loan against her house to cover production costs. Her persistence paid off, especially when she fulfilled her lifelong dream of working with Jamaican actor Campbell.

"I've always wanted to work with Paul Campbell," she said with a smile. "I knew he was perfect to play my father in the film. There's a gentle side to him I wanted to show. When we filmed the scene where he apologised to my character for not being in her life, it was cathartic for me personally."

The film emphasises themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the vital role fathers play in their children's lives.

"A woman's first love is her father, and, when a dad is not in the home, the balance of the household is thrown off . Now, when a woman is older, including myself, we don't know what the love from a man looks and feels like, and we usually have to find out through trials and errors. We tend to don't know what a healthy marriage looks like because we never saw it growing up," she said.

"I saw my mom being verbally and physically abused. Sometimes I had to step in to defend her. I wrote about those moments in my book," she said, her voice tinged with emotion. "I didn't have an example of a loving marriage. But, now, I know my purpose and who aligns with it."

Her journey began in Richmond, where she lived with her grandmother before migrating to the United States at 12.

"I want to showcase the art of storytelling and help others write and publish their books."

As a highlight of Reggae Month 2025, Love After Holidays promises to captivate audiences with its heartfelt narrative and star-studded cast. Headlam's story is not just one of survival, but a testament to the power of resilience and creativity.