A young well-to-do couple, bored by their mundane life in America decide they want to move away to an exotic, faraway location – Guyana. How long can this escape last for and what are they running from?
A Bitter Lime a new Indie film set to begin production in September, should answer those questions.
The neo-noir drama, Australian Writer and Director Max De Bowen told The Scene, centres on the theme of escapism.
Explaining why he chose Georgetown, Max said it was exotic, unique and unlike any other in the world. “It has elements of European, African, Indian and Amerindian influence making it such a fascinating melting pot of people and cultures. And Georgetown is virtually unseen in film; so many people outside of the Caribbean have very little idea of what it’s like,” he added. He’s about to change that.
The film explores what escapism means to different characters and explores whether true escape is attainable or just a dream. It also contrasts physical escapism with mental escapism. “I feel as though escapism is a theme that everyone can relate to, yet the story of our film is not one seen before,” Max elaborated. “The film is for thinking adults, so we don’t have a strong ‘moral of the story’, rather we provoke thought on a number of issues about the human condition; such as relationships, routine and dreams, and then we let the audience decide how to interpret the film.”
The inspiration for the movie comes from Max’s travelling. “Travelling has always been something I’ve loved. By travelling somewhere else you can forget all your worries and indulge in a new way of life. When it came to the time I started writing the film, I incorporated travel as a major component, as it’s both very interesting to me and something I have experience in to write about.”
He has been to over 300 cities in 31 countries and considers Georgetown one of the most interesting. “So the film is mostly set in Georgetown as it is a place that I love being in, and one I think would make a great location on film. It’s a dense, walkable and friendly city; meaning that you always seem to meet new interesting people. I think of Georgetown as a microcosm of the world, meaning that you can just about find a slice of anywhere around the world right here in this city. I think this is a great opportunity for all involved to make this independent international feature film right here in Georgetown.”
Production is expected to start on September 8 in Los Angeles and September 15 in Georgetown. The shooting schedule is approximately 15 days: 5 in LA and 10 in Guyana. Editing will be done between October and December and it should be complete by January in time for the Sundance Film Festival.
“After a film festival release, we will have an independent cinema release in some Australian and American cities. We will definitely screen the film in Guyana on completion,” Max said.
Meanwhile, work behind the scenes has already begun. Production Manager Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts and Max have spent most of May scouting locations, sourcing supporting cast and crew members in Guyana.
Other Guyanese involved in the project are Burchmore Simon of Kross Kolor Records, who will be working on the film’s audio; Renee Thompson, the film’s make-up artist; Keisha Edwards, as costume designer and 15 supporting roles filled by Guyanese actors. A few are well-seasoned local actors and others are new. Overall the production has a total of 30 Guyanese cast and crew involved.
Max noted that on a personal level, he has a lot of appreciation, love and gratitude for his mother Dr Roxanne Boughen, whose support has been essential to the production of the film. “Thanks Mum!” he said.
“I must thank Jerry Bacchus of Jerries for years of hospitality and Keisha Edwards for organising design crew and components of the film,” he added. You can find more information on the film at www.abitterlime.com
