"Postales" Production Blog

Postales

2009-06-14T17:27:00.001-07:00

First and foremost, thank you to everyone who supported this incredibly ambitious little film, and to those who followed along here during production. After several months of grueling editing work, the film has emerged as a poignant and dazzling portrait of Cuzco, Peru . For all of the latest information on "Postales" the movie, follow along at www.postalesmovie.wordpress.com!

Editing.

2008-11-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

THOUGH WE FINISHED FILMING
there was one important thing we failed to mention...

We were editing as we shot,
which means that by the time we
got to the wrap party, we had
2 hours of footage
already rough cut together
to screen for everyone!

Pretty cool stuff, if you ask me.

Please, call him Evan.
And thank him for his hard work!

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As you can see, he experienced
almost every emotion while editing.

Day 24:

2008-11-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

CASA ANDINA

most of the day was spent
shooting indoors (in a small space)...
so those not invited...
well, we had some fun!

Above: Still photographer Sarah, takes a photo with
National Policeman Gibaja and her brother, the director! :)

Below: Andres, Sarah, Jose, and Enier.

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Above: Megan, Julio, and Annie.
(ie: Elizabeth & mother, Belinda)

Above: Kiko poses for his money shot!

Above: Melinda and Jose.

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Above: Russ gives the camera some lovin'.
Below: Sarah and Beth.

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Above: Jose, still wrestling with people!
(Uri to the left, Sergio to the right)

Below: G&E, DP, & Steadi-cam...happy.
Jose, Dan, Joe, and Julio.

AND THAT'S A WRAP!!!!
though that happened hours later.

Day 23:

2008-11-13T12:57:00.000-08:00

SACSAYHUAMAN
RUINS NEAR CUSCO
pronounciation: sock-saiy-wha-man

Above: Yes we were filming here,
but more importantly...them some big rocks!!

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Above: Jose and Sergio
take a break to see who's stronger.

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And that's a wrap for Nadia!!!!

Day 20:

2008-11-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

POSTALES, POSTALES, POSTALES
they were everywhere!

Above: Josh jokes around with the actors in between takes.

Above: Pablo buys more postcards from Don Pepe.

Above: Another behind the scenes look at filming.

Day 18:

2008-11-07T23:46:00.000-08:00

FAMILY TIME AT INKA GRILL

Above: Elizabeth, Paul, and Mary wait for their mother to arrive.

Above: Josh, the director, rehearses with Elizabeth and Annie,
while Sol, the make-up artist, gets a last look at Mary.

Above: Crew members became excellent extras!
Meet Avi (Production-Coordinator),
Beth (American Cast Costumer),
and Celine (Production PA).

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PABLO & ALFREDO...
ATTEMPTING TO STAY
OUT OF TROUBLE.

Day 17:

2008-11-06T23:02:00.000-08:00

THE AIRPORT

In the midst of shooting...

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...there's still time for some fun!

Above: Beth takes "un photo" with some confused school girls?!!
They weren't quite sure why a "gringa" had a llama!

Above: Chaufa with Mary & Elizabeth
(ie: Nadia & Megan).

Cuscaño Crew.

2008-11-05T23:42:00.000-08:00

Though most of the crew came from

Lima, Chicago, and New York,
we also had a handful of locals helping out.

Sergio, Art Dept Asst.

Uri, G&E.

Enier, Craft Service.

Andreas, Driver.

Alex, Set PA.

Rolando, Driver.

Day 15:

2008-11-03T00:51:00.000-08:00

SHOPPING AT ALPACA'S BEST:

A "fun" day of shopping for Belinda and Elizabeth,
leads to Mary finding new friends.

Day 13:

2008-11-02T00:23:00.000-07:00

MUSICIAN DAY:
Today, part of shooting included the use of another Kusikay actor.
(the others playing the parts of Arturo, Rafael, and Umberto).

In the film, a blind musician plays the charango
as Paul walks with Rafael and Arturo.
Though the trio is unaware, Jano is close behind.

The charango is a small South American stringed instrument,
traditionally made with the shell of the back of an armadillo.

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The Steady-Cam Man...

2008-11-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

Meet Joe Fitz...

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and on a lighter note...
he needs help w/ the sunscreen,
and likes to feed animals!

Days 10-11:

2008-10-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

DAY 10:
MAMA AFRICA

Above: Elizabeth hangs out at a local discotec, Mama Africa.
Below: Jano and Carlito enter the disco after having a good night.

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Below: Carlito, played by Froilon,
celebrates his final shooting night!

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Above: Extras enjoying some camera time!
And near the green light, you can spot one of our G&E guys (Hola Jose).

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Below: Dan & Josh plan out the dolly shot.

DAY 11:
JANO & ELIZABETH HANG OUT.

Above: Another look at what you don't normally see!
From left to right - Gargula & Dan (viewing the small monitor),
Julio w/ the bounce, Joe on Steadicam, Chete (ie: Pablo),
Josh, Pancho, "Jano & Elizabeth", Kiko on the boom, and
one of our awesome security guards.

Above: G&E breaking down. From left to right - Jose, Julio, and Uri.

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Below: Elizabeth and Jano hang out all day.

Day 09: Stills & Crew Photos.

2008-10-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

STILLS

Below 1 & 2: Pablo sees Paul walking at night,
then asks him to buy postcards.

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Above: Jano & Elizabeth walk together at night.

Above: Pablo grabs a bite to eat at night.

Above: Paul walks around Cusco after meeting with Arturo.

CREW PHOTOS

Above, it's hard to see where everyone's at...sound, actors, camera.
However, below, it's much easier to see how filming breaks down.

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After a long day of watching the monitor and filming,
there's nothing better then getting a personal massage from the director!

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Above: Grip & Electric (G&E) in action.
Below: Carlito, Pablo, & Jano goof off before filming.

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Above: Avi, Production-Coordinator, has extras sign releases!
Below: Brichera, the set street dog, takes a moment with crew memebers.

night shooting...

2008-10-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

...first day of nights started off kind of rough!

Beth and Josh taking advantage of the "lunch" break.

Lolo, taking a catnap in between takes.

Also, during a lunch break, Dan - the D.P. was caught resting.

Thankfully, night shooting is past us.

Days 07:

2008-10-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

Above: double boom action!

Below 1: Jano and Pablo run into Carlito at night.
Below 2: Pablo runs into Jano, as he waits for Carlito.

Day 06:

2008-10-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

While Pablo asks tourists to buy postcards,
Alfredo checks to see if anyone needs a shoe shine.

Pablo, walking in Cusco.

Pablo takes a break near a blind beggar.

Flora walks up a cobblestone street, asking tourists to take a photo.

The boys (Pablo, Jano, Alfredo, Carlito) meet up at night.

Shooting begins...

2008-10-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

Doña Flora & Pablo leave mudbrick house to go into town.

Our first location, the mudbrick house, was by far the most intensive build for our art department, but completely transformative in its ability to bring both cast and crew into the world of our story's characters. Chaufa, Sylvia, and Sarah began with no more than the shell of an abandoned adobe structure; and within four days of reconstruction, major landscaping and set dressing, this once longtime chicken coop "magically" became a home.

Above: mudbrick house construction.
Below: Scene inside house featuring Umberto & Flora.

Sparsely, but accurately depicted, the house strikes a strong visual comparison between the lives and cultures of our film's two families.

Day 01:

Like many days soon to come, day one began around 5:15am, followed shortly after, by the arrival of our first two actors, three llamas, two donkeys, and a very excited Kucho.

Dan, aided by his crew of electricians and gaffers prepped the set...

Top to bottom, some of the guys.
Dan - DP; Russ - 2nd AC;
Jose & Enier - Key Grip & Grip

...while Sol, our make-up artist, went to work dressing and preparing the actors.

The morning went smoothly, accommodating to the needs of our actors and non-actors alike, and adjusting as our schedule contracted and swelled. After lunch, spirits were high, even despite a mid-afternoon hailstorm. It was clear that everyone was just happy to be on set!

Days 02-03:

The next two days progressed similarly, as we hammered out the majority of the scenes taking place at the mudbrick house location. Our acting coach, Mauricio, was on hand throughout the weekend, guiding our Peruvian Family through the more emotionally demanding scenes.

Above: Interior scenes, mudbrick house.

Below: Nighttime exterior scenes.

Day04:

We took our first break from the mudbrick house, and moved the company to our home-base on Carmen Alto. We began to gather at the production office around 2pm for a big lunch, before beginning our day across the street at the Grial Hostal.

There, we shot Mano and Carlito perfecting the art of the "Brichero." (An enormous thanks goes out to Jess, who made an excellent German tourist!) After wrapping at this location, we returned to the streets where we faked the front door of our mudbrick house, and then filmed one of the earliest scenes in the film -- where all four boys meet up in the street, outside Grial.

Above: Jano & Carlito show off to Pablo.
Below: Pablo & Alfredo run into Jano & Carlito in the streets.

The day ended at 12:06am, with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. Within what seemed like minutes, the gear was packed and the beer was poured...everyone was ready to blow off a little steam...seeing as the following day was a scheduled rest day!

Day 05:

Believe it or not, there was a bit of panic preceeding today...a big kudos goes to Maxi, Josh, and the entire production team! We finally received our permit to film in the city of Cusco...and not a minute too soon! Minus a good bit of crowd wrangling, the day went well.

In the midst of the wrangling, Josh (Director/Producer) and Chaufa (Art Director) were able to score interviews with number of people: a Cuscanian reporter, a pair of Uruguayan TV show hosts, and a gentleman who works with Blockbuster-Mexico!

All in all, a good day.

countdown to D-day...

2008-10-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon our entire Peruvian cast and slightly sun-burnt crew gathered together for a "meet and greet," our first tri-lingual read-through, and a delicious lunch at Cuzco's beloved, Quinta Zarate. The whole event was transformative, having, for the first time, a room of actors, non-actors and street kids working together and breathing a collective breath of life into 96 pages of two-dimensional text. Despite the months of work that have gone into planning, scheduling, coordinating, casting, building, and costuming...it certainly felt like the start of something...something very good.

The next few days offer hardly a calm before the storm, and come Thursday morning, the whole game changes. The time has finally come to put our efforts into practice... amidst the demands of the moment, I stole a few seconds from our director, Josh Hyde, and I asked him about his hopes for the film at this time..."I've always had high hopes for this film," he responded. "My goal was always to get the film seen by as many people as possible, get the script read, and try to put something together, but, you know, now that we’re in the trenches I just want to make a good movie. And that good movie is going to be made shot by shot and sound bite by sound bite, and through these pieces that we collect hopefully we’ll be able to tell a really good story...one that honors the journey and the 7 or 8 years that it’s taken to make this film. That’s really all I can hope for at this point."

Be sure to check back soon, as things down here are just heating up! And just for fun...below is a video of Jorge Choquehuillca Huallpa, an acclaimed Cusquenian musician who will be appearing in our film as as a blind churango player! (Dan Fisher, our Director of Photographer, must have been so moved by his performance that he temporarily lost all sense of gravity)

megan and meloni...

2008-10-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars and program your TiVo's, but don't miss Chicle's very own Megan Tusing making her television debut in next week's episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit! The episode airs Tuesday, October 14th at 10pm, with more details below. Congratulations Megan, we couldn't be more proud; and you can bet that those of us down here in Cusco will be glued to YouTube come Wednesday morning!

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT

“SWING”

10-14-2008 10:00PM

DETECTIVE ELLIOT STABLER'S (CHRIS MELONI) JOB AND PERSONAL LIFE BECOME INTERTWINED WHEN HE DISCOVERS HIS DAUGHTER, KATHLEEN STABLER (GUEST STAR ALLISON SIKO), IS THE SUSPECT.

A young woman is found trespassing in a family’s home, and Detective Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni) is called in to catch the intruder. The trespasser’s wallet leads Stabler to a- surprising suspect, his daughter, Kathleen Stabler (guest star Allison Siko). Detective Stabler is shocked to find his daughter has fallen in love with the kind of crowd he spends his days condemning. With his family life at stake, Stabler must decide how far he will go to save Kathleen, even turning to his estranged mother, Bernadette Stabler (guest star Ellen Burstyn), for help. In order to save Kathleen, Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) knows that she must step in to help her friend and partner before things take a turn for the worst. Also starring: Richard Belzer (Detective John Much), Dann Florek (Captain Donald Cragen), Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Michaela McManus (A.D.A Kim Greylek), Tamara Tunie (Dr. Melinda Warner), and B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang).

http://www.nbcumv.com/listing_detail.nbc/nbc-20081014220000.htm

Megan will be playing Kathleen Stabler's college roommate! So, be sure to tune in next Tuesday to NBC at 10pm to check it out!

promo-peru...

2008-10-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

Chicle Producer Maxim Holland,who we're thrilled to have back from the short, just received word from Promo-Peru (Peru's official commission on tourism and promotion) that our film has received their support and assistance! This agreement is in many ways like a golden key to the city...not a bad thing to have when making a movie. way to go Maxi!

Today, artistic director, Christian "Chaufa" Bustamante arrives from Lima with his assistant and muse Cucho...both of whom we'll be putting straight to work finalizing costumes and building and dressing our CYP sets. The largest of which is transforming a mudbrick house, currently being used as a chicken coop, into a humble home for our Peruvian family.

The countdown begins, with just over a week until the start of filming, so there's no turning back now! Check back soon for more updates and we welcome those following along to leave your questions, comments and words of encouragement below by using the comments feature! Hope to hear from you all soon...

ciao!

on the ground...

2008-09-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday of this past week, Claire, Sarah and Beth safely touched down in the Cuzco Airport, immediately greeted by a smiling crew, two Korean hatchback taxis, and a pitcher of coca tea. Here, nestled 12,000 feet up in the Andes Mountains, we’ll make our home for the next few months.
Everyone seems to have made the transition extremely well, and has been eager to dive right into the job at hand. Claire, Maxi and PJ have begun working through the logistics of transporting cast and crew, coordinating schedules and securing locations…no small task. Josh, Dan, Beth and Sarah have been busy working with the Peruvian actors, rehearsing and developing the script, as well as seeking out local talent for some of the smaller adult parts.
Chete, the young actor playing the part of Pablo, and William, his comical sidekick Alfredo, have been an absolute inspiration to work with. Each bring a fresh perspective to the story, offering up new ideas each day and a naturalness many professional actors train to achieve. Check out our video below of the boys in action.

Over the weekend, Josh is finalizing the last round of rewrites to the script and early next week we’ll welcome our assistant art director, Sylvia to the compound! And don’t forget, it’s not too late to donate to the film. Every donation large and small is incredibly appreciated; and remember, you’re not only supporting independent art, but a project whose goal is to uplift the Peruvian culture and shed light on the story of Cusco’s countless street children. Simply visit our website at http://www.lofuproductions.com/chicleypostales/index.html

Chicle Y Postales featured in the Southern Illinoisan

2008-09-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, check out the write up in Carbondale's Southern Illinoisan. Writer Brent Stewart devoted an entire article to the Chicle Y Postales film and its director, SIUC grad, Josh Hyde. Big thanks goes out Mr. Stewart, The Southern, and LoFu publicist Adam York for making it possible.

http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2008/09/08/lifestyles/life/25749768.txt

what a difference a cast makes!

2008-09-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Another piece to the Chicle puzzle has fallen beautifully into place this week as rehearsals with our American cast are now underway. We began last Saturday with Nadia Alexander (Mary) and Megan Tusing (Elizabeth), another couple of Midwest transplants quickly working their way up the acting ranks here in the city. In a rented studio in midtown Manhattan (appropriately five stories up with an out of service elevator) we began discussing their characters, their relationships to each other, and the evolution they each go through as the story unfolds. It was incredible to see how each of them brought to the story an insight or point of view that neither Josh nor I had ever thought of. By the end of the day, the excitement of this creative exchange had already begun to breathe new life into our story…and we still had two more actors to go!
Sunday, we met as a full cast. As we sat around a long table, settling in and introducing ourselves, there was already an incredible feeling of accomplishment…in reality we were only baby steps along in the scope of the whole project, but somehow we had all made it to that room, and it felt amazing. The actors playing our American parents, both of whom built their careers in the New York market, have been friends for years and immediately translated their personal relationship into an honest and tangible spousal connection. Megan and Nadia (or “mini-Megan, due to their almost eerie resemblance) jumped right in, pushing each other’s buttons as only siblings can, while also uncovering several heartwarming moments when their love for each other shines through. It was a fantastic afternoon, made even more incredible as we watched Chicle’s two-dimensional words begin their metamorphosis into “real life.”
This week we’ll continue to meet with the actors and polish each scene into a more performance ready form, until finally we wave goodbye to our Director, Josh Hyde, as he departs for Peru this coming Monday. Thanks to Josh and all our tremendous actors for all their hard work! Things are moving right along….

the casting machine...

2008-09-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our casting directors Ellen and Maria of the Orpheus Casting Group, American casting here in NYC was a complete success! The last two weeks have been an absolute whirlwind of actors, auditions, late night phone calls and a heavy reliance on gut instinct, but overall, an absolutely amazing experience!

During our first day of auditions we saw around 30 actors over a six-hour period…a number that may not sound like a lot, but trust me, makes for a very full and very exhausting day. Each actor prepared two sides (short scenes extracted from the script) and performed them along with a reader (someone who provides the other character’s lines in the scene). With some actors, Josh was able to observe all the information he needed from a single read, with others he would provide a slight adjustment or gentle direction and then ask them to perform the scene again. It was incredible to watch so many interpretations of the same words! At the end of the day, everyone’s headshot was spread out on the table and Josh and the ladies compared their notes and boiled down their top choices for each character.

When I asked Josh for his impressions of the casting process he responded, “I think it’s amazing, because, you know, you go out there and you have this script, and it’s as if you’re looking for a needle in a haystack. You think you know exactly what you’re looking for, and sometimes you’re lucky enough to find it; but other times an actor will bring in something you’d never even considered for that character and you realize that you’re even luckier because this person is better than any character you could have ever written.”

The following week, this same process was reenacted with a whole new group of actors, and then again in a final call back. In the call back, the top choices for each character were mixed and matched into prospective “families” and asked to read a dinner scene, so that the auditioners could get a feel for how the actors worked together, as well as whether it would be physically convincing that each actor was biologically related to the others. Essentially, all of the complex relationships that exist between the characters of our story would have to be believable amongst the actors. As you can imagine, a lot of factors came into play for this final decision, but we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome!

Next on the agenda: While rehearsals for the American family begin this week in New York, Dan and PJ will begin casting sessions in Lima and Cuzco to find the remaining members of our Peruvian cast. Plus, check out this adorable pic below of Nadia Alexander (Mary), the newest addition to the Chicle Y Postales family. Welcome!

we have touchdown...

2008-09-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

As of last Monday, “Captain” Dan Fischer and our trusty producer, PJ Fishwick, have safely and successfully landed in Lima, Peru! Once arrived, they spared no time in transition, immediately teaming up with “Chicle” veterans Maxim Holland and Christian “Chaufa” Bustamante. Check out what the guys said about their first week in the country, the riggers of pre-production, and the job ahead…

Hey guys, how does it feel to be back in Peru, and what have you missed most since your last visit?

PJ: It’s always great to be in a new place. There is always a little culture shock but I think Dan and I hit the ground running and have accomplished much in our first week. I think I speak for Dan as well when I say the thing we were most excited about was the food. Lima is a hotspot for the South American food connoisseur. Chifa, Ceviche, Lomo Saltado and Aji de Gallina. We have been eating our way across town and back.

PJ, you’ve been working in the Chicago film scene for quite some time now, but this will be your first time working with the LoFu crew. What was it about the story or the film that brought you to the project?

PJ: As you know Dan and I live together back in Chicago. I remember the first time I stumbled across the script for Chicle. It was an old battered copy that had fallen behind the TV. Dan was away at work and I was doing some cleaning at the house. What is this I thought, as a peeled back the dusty tattered cover and began to read. Immediately I was enthralled. In one sitting I read through the entire script, riveted into the couch. When Dan got home I was sitting in the kitchen with the lights off. It was late and as he dropped his bag and turned to me questioningly I said... "what is this." "What?" he asked. As I motioned to the script, which I had retyped and printed to make a new crisp copy, he realized. Silence. "I think its time you did something with this." I said solemnly. Dan was quiet for a minute and turned his back to me. He took a deep breath and raised his hands to his face. "You cleaned behind the TV. I told you never to clean behind the TV." He said. "This is a piece of art, a thing of beauty! You cant just hide it away behind the TV buried in the dust. " I pleaded. "I know!" cried Dan. "I know..." He took a deep breath and poured himself a whiskey. "If we are going to do this thing. We are going to do it together. " We both rose from the table in the darkness and shared a long hug. When we broke the embrace we cried "Chicle" and clasped hands in a jumping high five. And its just been building ever since.
As to working with the lofu crew - I thought they would be taller

Ha ha ha, nice…I appreciate the sarcasm. What kind of activities does the process of “Pre-Production” entail?

PJ: Production in Peru is different in many ways than much of my experience in Chicago. Dan and I start our day by going to Cafe Z to check our email and communicate with everyone stateside. Day to day it’s been different though much of our time has been filled with meeting the crew who will be working with us in Cusco. Everyone we meet has been really excited about the project and can’t wait to get started. We have been all over Lima looking for camera accessories, hoping to get a matte box and follow focus from Lima though no luck so far, the hunt continues. Today we will be meeting with the gaffer and the makeup artist.

So, what’s next on the agenda?

PJ: We travel to Cusco on Wednesday and will begin looking for housing for crew and cast as well as begin casting sessions for local Cusquenians.

What are you all looking forward to in the months ahead?

PJ: I really look forward to seeing the developing relationships between American and Peruvian filmmakers, and cast. I think it is really amazing and interesting to see people from all over the states and Peru coming together for one vision and purpose.

Guys, thanks so much for your time! Keep up the good work and we’ll be sure to check in with you again soon.

enter, the casting directors...

2008-08-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Ellyn Long Marshall and Maria Nelson of the Orpheus Casting Group to our Chicle Y Postales family! Their significant experience and expertise have been applied to a slough of cinematic and theatrical projects worldwide, and are responsible for casting such respected films as: Real Women Have Curves, Maria Full of Grace, El Cantante, and the breakthrough independent Day Night Day Night.

Casting sessions for our American actors are already underway, and hopefully by next week we’ll have some strong leads on our first four cast members!

Also of note…Director of photography, “Captain” Dan Fischer, and Producer PJ Fishwick will be landing in Lima early next week to begin pre-production with our on-site producer Maxim Holland. Check back soon for our first photos and news from the ground!

The Long Road to Cusco...

2008-08-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

In less than a week our first crew members will be setting foot in the ancient Incan city of Cusco, Peru, 12,000 feet up in the Andes Mountains! For many of us it will be a completely foreign experience…a new journey in a new country, awash with all the excitement and apprehension that accompany such experiences. For others, it’s the final leg down a well-worn path, leading home…

The evolution of this story began almost seven years ago, when Josh Hyde and Dan Fischer made their first trip to Cusco for the filming of Despacho; a documentary in which they explored the effects of western medicine on traditional shamanistic healing practices. During this process, they were given a first hand perspective of the effects poverty, culture, and even their own American presence played on the lives of the Andean community. Gradually their focus began to gravitate, leading them away from the American nurses and resting on what they saw as Cusco's real story: the street kids. With only enough money to complete the project at hand, Josh and Dan returned to the U.S. , but Chicle Y Postales was already hovering on the horizon.

Over a span of ten months after their return, Josh worked diligently to transfer his experiences and observations into a script that portrayed the plight of the indigenous community with both honesty and dignity. The result was a story that mirrored two families, separated by wealth, culture and language but united by a common string of humanity. Each of us who came to the project was immediately struck by the script’s heart and sincerity. Before long we had rallied a team spanning four continents, all anxiously anticipating the moment we would begin.

For the next several years, the script became a true test of patience, as Josh and Dan tirelessly pursued all means possible to push the creation of the film. The screenplay went through various script labs from the Independent Feature Project Script Market in NYC to the Sundance labs out West. Each helped to garner interest in the story, but nothing concrete. Finally, in 2005, determined to tell this story one way or another, we returned to Cusco to film a 14-minute version of the feature length script entitled, Chicle.

Utilizing a cast of non-acting indigenous Peruvians set against experienced American performers, Chicle developed an organic, humanistic quality that beautifully emphasized the polarizations between two cultures. The new goal was to generate enough publicity with the completed short to negotiate funding for the feature. In a matter of months Chicle was a constant presence on the international film festival circuit, playing at such respected venues as Berlin International, Tribeca and Chicago International. In 2007 it was inducted into the Korean National Film Archive, along with a handful of other short films, to be used as examples of cultural awareness within the Korean education system.

Another three years would pass, marked again by progress and setbacks, close calls and subsequent projects. It wasn’t until the spring of 2008, upon the completion of LoFu’s latest documentary, Last Man Standing, that Josh made the ultimate decision… it was either now or never. The overwhelming response was "Now!"

Four months later and here we are...plane tickets are bought, auditions are being held, and this little flim that could is officially underway! Our deepest thanks to all who’ve supported and encouraged this project for the last seven years, and to those who’s current efforts are making it’s completion possible! Please continue to stay abreast of our progress throughout production by checking back frequently for updated blogs, photos, and shout outs from the gang.

Hasta luego!

Chicle Donate Page

2008-07-22T11:08:00.001-07:00