A Movie To Remember
He wanted to make the world aware of the plight of Filipinos overseas. “Few Americans appreciate the sacrifice that Filipinos make when they leave their homeland.
But he said the film’s true star is Bohol
-Tim Fitzharris, Inquirer ( Read the rest of the article below.)
My friends Tim and Joy Fitzharris, a husband and wife tandem, have finished filming their indie movie last April. Tim wrote and directed the flick while Joy produced it. They flew all the way from Santa Fe, New Mexico together with their two beautiful children just to shoot the film in Bohol. This is Tim’s debut film. He is a well-recognized landscape photographer here in the US. He decided to try his luck in the world of movies and A Far Away Life is a good way to start.
The plot of the movie is a collaboration of stories from Tim’s wife, moi and some Filipino friends. We would gather over dinner and narrate interesting stories of the life we had in the Philippines, the customs, the norms, the traditions, etc and Tim would take notes. It was amazing how he put all our stories together and added some twists to it.
The story is about a girl who is determined to reach her American dream, just like half of the population of the Philippines. She lives in the barrio with her grandmother where life is so hard. She was twelve years old when her uncle wrapped hand guns under her dress to smuggle them to another island. She was so young when she lost her brother, who got bitten by a dog . He died because money was scarce to take him to the hospital. It was a life common to us. It was a life that some of us can relate. She wanted to get out of this kind of life. An American guy was the only ticket she had. However, she’s in love with another guy. A guy that could not help her to have a better life. A guy who is in the same boat as her. Now, is she gonna follow her heart or her ticket out of poverty?
Jorross Gamboa played the male leading character and Cesar Montano also made an appearance in the movie. As you may all know, Cesar is from Bohol.
The film really features the natural beauty of Bohol. It will help promote Bohol’s beaches, etc. It makes you want to live there.
Bohol is a perfect spot to shoot the film, it soo barriotic. It was nostalgic when I watched some parts of the film. The place where they shot the film makes me homesick. It wasn’t done yet I can tell that it is going to be soo goood.
Watch the trailer and you will know what I am talking about: (Note: This is just an initial trailer, not official)
Tim Fitzharris was also featured in Inquirer when he was still making the movie in the Bohol. You can read it here.
The Article says :
US director shoots two films in RP
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:01:00 04/20/2009
Filed Under: Entertainment (general), Cinema
MANILA, Philippine — American photographer Tim Fitzharris recently shot a movie in scenic Loboc River in Bohol.
“A Far Away Life,” Fitzharris’ debut film, features Filipino actor Joross Gamboa in the lead, with a cast of Boholanos.
For Fitzharris, whose works have appeared in publications like Life, Audubon and Popular Photography, filmmaking was a natural progression.
“I’ve spent many years (since 1971) capturing images around the world,” Fitzharris, who’s based in New Mexico, related in an e-mail to Inquirer Entertainment. “But my real interest is telling stories… that depict the small dramas of everyday life.”
Fitzharris, whose wife Joy is Filipina, said the film is “based on actual occurrences.”
He said he wanted to make the world aware of the plight of Filipinos overseas. “Few Americans appreciate the sacrifice that Filipinos make when they leave their homeland,” he said.
Shooting in the island-province went smoothly, he reported, thanks to the “excellent, enthusiastic production staff.”
The biggest challenge was the heat, he said. “We must have used 49 umbrellas! We shot early, or late, in the day.”
Fortunately, most of the scenes were set near Loboc River, “where we could often cool off with a swim.”
On the first day of shoot, however, Fitzharris lost a camera to the Bohol sea.
“The boat suddenly tipped and the cameraman, tripod and camera fell into the water,” he recalled.
Fitzharris was also impressed with Gamboa. “He gave his all in each scene. He came up with nice ad-libs that we included in the movie.”
But he said the film’s true star is Bohol. “It’s a beautiful destination,” he said. “So this film would appeal to people in the US and Europe where winters are cold and dark.”
Fitzharris hopes to distribute the film in the US and the Philippines and enter it in a major film festival.
His next film will also feature Filipinos. “It’s a comedy about rural Americans — hicks or rednecks — who marry Filipinas,” he said, “a light-hearted look at the clash of cultures.”
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Reesie is the author of Off The Top Of My Head. She is a research and IT support-slash-analyst in New Mexico and a Certified COMPTIA A+. She was a college instructor before she works in the US. She enjoys her new found hobby, photography. She is a proud Cebuana from the barrio of Katugasan.
Interesting manay! intresting. thanks!
interesting talaga manoy.
Wow, a Pinoy movie gawa sa Bohol. Galing, thanks for sharing. ^_^
Bohol is such a nice place…at dapat malaman ng buong mundo kung gaano ito kaganda.
Wow Reesie, I almost cried watching the trailer. I will definitely buy this movie kapag lumabas sya.
maganda talaga siya mahalia. nakakahomesick ang movie na yan.
You know, there is this Film Academy ata yon sa Mactan or somewhere in Cebu which is gaining some international attention. Na-alala ko sila with this movie.
Yeah, nakaka-relate ako sa movie na to. Maganda sya!
BigFoot Film Academy yun Reynz.
inggit ako. sana one day maka experience din ako ng ganyan.
ang ganda, feel good film to. manonood ako or kukuha ng copy kapag nalabas, orig syempre at hindi download para support the film industry with ressie syempre. e ikaw pa, alam mo naman mahal kita
haha. sipsip ka talaga denz. thanks!
I felt nostalgia, the barriotic life I used to have and waaaaahhhh after 100 years nakita ko ulit yung uniform ko nung college! All the places are so familiar to me, especially those hills where kids fly their kites, and the ones where kids climb up to the tree then jump down to the river.
ay sinabi mo pa maxi. ganyan na ganyan talaga ang buhay sa atin, napaka simple.
Yun location na pinag shootingan nila, dun ako lumaki at tinubuan ng sungay kasama na buntot. I basically grew up in Carmen, Bohol kaya mixed yung emotions ko.
talaga? so familiar ang mga lugar? you must see this film then.
nakakahomesick noh?
gaya nga nung sinabi ko in my first comment yung college uniform namin noon. So very familiar yung Loboc river, every weekend dun yung way namin going home, nakakahomesick talaga. Sana I’ll get a chance to watch that movie kahit sa DVD man lang.
i haven’t been to bohol kaya am looking forward to watching this film
will it be shown here in Pinas?
have you seen Ploning? It’s a nice movie too, will make you want to migrate in Palawan haha
i haven’t seen Ploning.
malen, gora ka sa Bohol. naku, napakaganda doon.
naku naman reesie ang ganda nga ng bohol. but then again parang nakakaiyak tong film na to. trailer pa lang feel ko na…
~emote~
may comedy sa film na to chi..medyo madami ding scenes dito na nakakatawa.
well then hintayin ko na lang sa takilya. hehehe…
nakita ko na pala ang trailer niyan manay when you first posted it months ago…he he he,
to mahal na reyna, yes it bigfoor academy. I really want to study there…pero…teka..hindi kaya ang budget,pang doctorate na budget ko na yun!ha ha ha,,
medyo may kamahalan nga daw ang bigfoot. gusto mong mag-aral don? sabihan mo lang si reynz. haha
gusto ko rin magbakasyon sa bohol. major tourist spot na rin yang place na yan.
kelan kaya ako makakapunta dun..??
planning to visit Bohol by the end of this year.. really hoping! btw, nice one!
*calling for a simple silent prayer for the victims of the recent typhoon!