The Old Testament tale of Hosea and his wife Gomer is a classic example of the Christian mantra of forgiveness. He refused to forsake her even though she was a prostitute and unfaithful.

Hosea and Gomer are the inspiration for Foolish Advice, a movie written by Jamaican Stavan Whyte, popularly known as comedian/singer Stefan Peninsilyn. It is scheduled to premiere September 22 at Tradition Town Hall in Port St Lucie, Florida.

It is the first film by Whyte, who is best known to Jamaicans for winning the Festival Song Contest in 2003 and 2004 with Jamaican Tour Guide and Ole Time Jamaica, respectively.

An ordained minister of religion, he said the story of Hosea and Gomer has long fascinated him. Their challenges remain relevant in a world of rampant infidelity and high divorce rates.

In Foolish Advice, Whyte plays Jonathan while Sandra Chin plays Suzie, his wife.

“The movie centres around the power of love and forgiveness in marriage. Just as in Hosea he had to forgive his wife even after she went out and did prostitution. Likewise, in this movie, Jonathan had to forgive Suzie for all the mistakes she made in the marriage,” he explained.

A graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Whyte has lived in the United States since 2007. He has written three “mini movies” as well as God Over Obeah, a 2017 play that had a limited run in south Florida.

Whyte said Foolish Advice took two years to complete on a budget of US$10,000. Filming took place in Miami, Port St Lucie and Palm Bay.

“It was initially going to be a play but we went ahead and turned the entire production into a movie,” said Whyte, who also selected the cast.

In addition to him and Chin, the main characters are Shirley Petersen (Suzie’s mother), Belinda Bartley (Dawn) and Tano Bogle (Jonathan’s boss) who have been collaborating with Whyte since 2008.