| Casco is getting ready for some major filming: the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace (how they find these titles????). Streets strapped with yellow bands, staff running around. They transformed the fasade of the Ministry of Culture into a hotel… I´m tempted to send a picture to a client of mine at Arco Properties who wanted so badly to buy the Ministry to do a five star hotel… he was so dissapointed it wasn´t for sale! now I can just send a “postcard picture” of “Hotel Grand” with a note on the back: “I finally made the deal!”.Now, the trivia test for both panamanian and foreigners: why would the producers of James Bond choose Panama (and Casco Viejo) for their film?
My pick of answers would include: 1. Wide variety of locations ranging from spanish colonial to caribbean ghetto not forgetting rainforest, mountain and beaches in a small territory to cover. I think this is important for both the movie and their budgets! 2. Sunny summer! well… at least in Casco Viejo! they´ll soon discover the caribbean coast has an entire mind of its own…. 3. Freedom to re write as they go along: since Panama provides for so different scenarios, they can adjust as they go along. 4. No one is really going to bother them while filming. We don´t have annoying paparazzi running around hussling on their doors. We are very “cool” about it…. I´m sure there are other reasons, tag along! let me know what you think. There´s a good article at La Prensa today: www.prensa.com (see below) My only complaint with the entire thing is that Casco Viejo is supposed to be Bolivia. Well…. I guess you can´t have it all, but at least they should mention us in the credits, no? I hope they don´t film the coast, since Bolivia has none. A little difficult from Casco, having so many water views.
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