One week ago 16 youths arrived in Belize from Los Angeles fresh out of high school and ready for action as in: "lights, camera, action." As we told you, the graduates from Grover Cleveland High are here to make a movie. It's part of a cultural exchange with Youth for the Future's Governance Unit. They spent their first week in Belize doing orientation and today was the first day of shooting. Keith Swift reports from the set on the streets of Belize City.
Keith Swift Reporting, Email - [keithkswift@gmail.com]
7NEWS was on location at the Queen Square Market for day one of shooting on the still untitled dramatic short film by youths from Belize and Los Angeles. Felix Yong from Cleveland High is one of the movie's directors. It is two firsts for this high school graduate: it's his first time directing a movie and his first time in Belize.
Felix Yong, Director
"This is our first day of shooting. We're shooting scene 10. Oh my God, cars were running up and down. There were buses and music and all the noise from the people. It was crazy. We had to start filming and stop and start again. We just needed to be patient with that. It was tough. We had a lot of weather conditions: sun, no sun, sun and rain. We lost two batteries but that's the whole point of this. We need to collaborate and work together to make this movie.
The scene today is one of our turning point scenes for the main character. The whole story is about tourism and Belizean life; how the Belizeans live life and the tourism effect. This is a turning point from coming off of tourism and more of living the Belizean, to explore like what we are doing right now. It's a great feeling."
And Yong's camera, microphone, and action are only half the story. Tanya Ezrol is the movie's lead actress as "Hannah. She also co-wrote the script and as we found out, she has some roots in Belize.
Tanya Ezrol, "Hannah"
"Hannah is torn between two things: her cousin and her friend who are with her on this trip. And so I guess towards the end she kind of finds her voice so that's her revelation."
Keith Swift,
Is that semi-autobiographical?
Tanya Ezrol,
"A little bit. I'm part Belizean. I have family in Corozal here but I was raised and I lived in America so the conflict in my life is very similar to Hannah."
[Scene from Today]
Karen Aguilar,
"She is a tourist and she's an American tourist and she does not know
much about the country so she's here and she asks many questions about Belize and she's flirty, she's a very flirty character, and she's a very happy character."
Keith Swift,
Is that anything like you?
Karen Aguilar,
[Laughs] "Yes actually that's really why I relate a lot to the character because I'm the happy and adventurous tourist. I came here to just have fun and that's the type of character she is and I'm pretty much like that too."
Devon Bain who plays "Albert," the lead Belizean character in the movie says his character mirrors his real life personality.
Devon Bain, "Albert"
"In this movie Albert is all about Belize right. He and his cousin Hannah they came from the States and I'm supposed to show them Belize and show them a good time."
[Scene from Today]
"Actually it's not really challenging at all because I'm a natural baby. I'm a natural and it comes easy so it's not a struggle, its just natural."
Keith Swift,
And your beautiful co-stars don't hurt.
Devon Bain,
"It doesn't at all. Everyone is beautiful right here man. We're like family."
And more than the work behind the camera, that fraternity is what these actors and the crew say the experience is all about an international cultural exchange - both on screen and off.
Filming moves tomorrow to Old Belize. Shooting will take another 2 weeks at locations such as in Northern Belize and the Cayes. Some of the Belizean participants will travel to Los Angeles to participate in the editing.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
