“I am here because I am a dreamer.”
These words were uttered by Los Angeles movie producer, Rudy Langlais, while telling his story at the launch of the Audiovisual Association of Dominica at the Fort Young Hotel on Thursday, July 20, 2013.
Langlais is of Dominican parentage (father from Colihaut) but grew up in St. Kitts and is best known for producing the film “The Hurricane” starring Denzel Washington, “Who Killed Atlanta’s Children” with Gregory Hines, and “Redemption” starring Jamie Foxx. He is currently producing “Rebels”, the story of Bob Marley and the fantasy‐adventure “Alosha” with Peter Jackson, one of New Zealand’s best-known film-makers.
Langlais said he has always been a dreamer and would imagine places that he dreamt of when he read books like Tom Sawyer. He said he would imagine making movies of the stories.
“I am a dreamer,” he said. “I had a dream on the streets of St. Kitts as a boy and my dream has taken me to Los Angeles, it has taken me into prisons, it has taken me into places I don’t want to go again, it has taken me places I long to go again.”
Now Langlais’ dreams have brought him to the place where he is considering Dominica as the location for a new feature film ‘Unburnable’, depicting long ago scenes from a condemned love affair turned sour and later, to revenge. He describes the film as a tribute to his mother and as recognition for his father.
“I thought I could tell that story of that place, where my father is from and to know my father in a way that I have never known him as a boy,” he said.
His work in the film industry and understanding of audiovisual work, he said, helped him to realize this particular dream. “So I understood what the work means,” he said. “It would lead me to “Unburnable” which is the discovery of who my father was … the book set in Colihaut, bring me to the dream again of what is possible.”
He described his journey as a film maker as one of ‘discovery and expression’ and about making statements to his family, community and the world.
“I get to say this is how I feel about this, what I think. This is what my people think about this, we are not just lines on the map; we actually live, breathe a sacred history. So, here I present you my sacred history,” he said.
Langlais believes the power of audiovisual work is the power of creating magic of stories, “the magic of our most important spirit in our blood which is who we are and so I am delighted to come and share some of how the magic is made and what kind of magic is made,” he remarked.
However, he pointed out that there are some requirements that Dominica and other countries must meet to be considered as a location for some of this movie magic, such as access to the country, government subsidies, a stable and sustainable environment, comfort and ease in moving about and the availability of crews, among others.
In turn, the country benefits from the employment of locals, tax revenues, a sense of dignity to the country and tourism promotion from the movie, said Langlais.
Here we go DA, its your time to make real money and open doors for all.
GRABE IT ALL.
The book unburnable is a good a read overall. Although I wish a few things are changed in the movie cause with a book like that the movie better be better than the book itself or else this movie will be a lost cause. They should get rid of the main character’s present storyline and stick to her ancestors or change her present storyline a bit.
and also what other island can they do the movie the book is based in two places Dominica and new york . it’s a good thing alot of the places mentioned in the book has not changed much from the descriptions given in the book.
You may be a book lover but generally the books are much better and detailed than the movie itself. I have read books pertaining to movies that I saw.
Everyone will not see them, the book and the movie in the same manner.
Remember, the movie may be approximately one and a half hour to two hours long or even three hours long. How can the movie be better than the book? They will ensure that the movie is interesting and captivating. This is all that could be guaranteed. I am certain it will be an excellent movie.
Rudy Langlais, welcome to Dominica, your mother country which holds a lot of memories of your ancestors. Your dream is well worth it. You should feel comfortable in Dominica and filming there. I wish you good luck in your endeavor. Someday I hope to view this movie.
It’s an opportunity we should cease it. As long as they’re in the country that’s money flowing and when they leave hopefully the good news will spread and we’ll be in regular business.
‘seize’. This is not a criticism. I humbly state that I have made the identical mistake between those two words and who knows I may yet make it again since no one is perfect.
Those English words are close in speech and there are few of them that in typing it is easy to type the wrong word.
Mr. Langlais, Dominica welcomes you and your dream.
You can and you should tell your story of that place where your father is from, and get to know your father in the way that you had never known him as a boy. Like you said, it would lead you to “Unburnable” which is the discovery of who your father was. Everything is possible.
Go, discover and express, and make statements to your family, community, and the world.
Dominica is yet to be discovered, and the people like yourself can make that happen. I think COLIHAUT is the perfect place to start. Good luck on your journey.
Dominica will not make it Big in the Entertainment Industry, Dominicans are not thinking in line with what is required…
Consultant after Consultant have indicated to them about air access, but they shy away from it..
China had over USD3B Floating around in the region for those singing their one China Policy..
Dominica is singing but seems unable to sing the the song.
But sadly Dominica singing it out of Key!
Once in Key singing on that Song you would think outside of the Box look for at least 150-200M USD
To start the International Airport. that’s how things are done in the civil society World Wide.
But Dominica will continue to be the Fools Paradise Due to lack of thinking….
The saying, you make do with what you have until you can do better and if you can’t do better, you say no matter. People will have to accept Dominica as it is. It is no worse than some other countries. They are still arriving in Dominica by air. No sense worrying about what is not yet done and what could and should be done. Leave this up to the government.
Where can I sign up to be on the set?
A Job! Jobs for us!Politicians just stand aside and clear the way for our Jobs.You have already provided jobs for the Chinese so this is our turn dont mess with it !
Give them a break to review this plan and the cost of ‘government subsidy.” We reside in an era that people get nothing for nothing. There is always an extra tag.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unburnable. I am already excited.
i even want to be in a movie.who knows my nxt movie could be with tom cruise
“the Dominican government were completely unprepared for the scale of a Hollywood production, with the 500-strong crew occupying around 90% of the roads on the island and having ”
What does the crap above have to with the government of Dominica and rods?
If you cannot accommodate five hundred people in one spot in the country, what is the purpose of concentrating on tourism. Unless I do not understand what is been said I do not see the purpose of such comment.
One can produce a movie with five or ten people for that matter, maybe even less, I seen movies which compresses three or four people.
By the same token I was going to Jury duty last month, after I parked my car a few blocks from the Court House North Hill Street, I went underground, when I got back on the street, they were filming a movie, I had to walk past a crowed of several hundreds of people, including security guards, and a host of cameras, trucks ect.
Meanwhile regular traffic kept flowing Dominicans create issues where none exists: Be happy that this guy wishes to utilized Dominica for the making his movie.
I saw movies such as Fire Power, featuring O. J. Simpson, and even Bill Abbott of Antigua, filmed on the island of Antigua, without any confusion, so what’s the big deal?
I think every effort should be made to welcome this guy home, and give him every opportunity to succeed; and be reminded, had people such as Ian Douglas, and other small minded people like him on the island, Dominica may have become a venue for an annual Film Festival, a friend of mind also a movie director, and producer intended to use our country for that purpose.
However, every Dominican organization and individual who communicated with the intended producer (investor) seems to have their own agenda, thus nothing materialized!
And the producer in question has no Dominica connection besides me!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
No wander nothing happened…You are/were his only connection to Dominica.
But padna, what are you really saying? As usual…very confusing.
Francisco, the hundreds of people must have been extras used in the film, you now, merely people who will participate in the movie as a crowd but not that they are actors.
This reminds me that a few years ago I was at a Mall and was leaving it when a man approached me about being in a movie. He wanted my name and address. I refused. He said you will do well in it. I turned him down.
What actually occurs after you sign up, they will telephone you for an interview. At the meeting, the prospects are asked to pay a fee to be trained or for membership. There is no guarantee that those who are trained will be fortunate to obtain a job. I heard this on the News including some of the complaints especially for models.
A relative who resides elsewhere told me that she was in a movie as an extra and they pay well. People just have to take their chances. Those who have no qualms about it do so.
Lots, of people has lost chances like that. One day I went to a Jamaican store to buy some West Indian food, I was driving a high price high profile, sport car; this a guy walked up to me and said, I am shooting next week, and I would like to use you and this car in my shoot.
I looked at the guy, a black guy, and said to my: yea right!
A week later I went back to the store and ask about the guy, someone said to me ” Oh, they are in production right now, I ask him do you mean, the man showed me a poster of the guy in a movie which he played in.
It is only then I realized I may have prevented myself an opportunity to show off in a film!
As for the extra thing, there are people who makes their living by providing extras for movies, which requires no acting training, one may be employed to stand in one spot for sometimes between seven and ten seconds.
Just & Truth, anytime someone offer to put you into anything, if at some point and time they ask you to pay up front any money for their help or services, that is when you need to realize they are after money, that is the time you back away, if they are going to help you, and they are honest about it, money will be last to come into play.
As for the fool who said the reason nothing happened is because I am the only person between the person I spoke of and Dominica, let me tell you garbage, nobody people like you need to shut; and I cannot say it as I would like, but have nothing to say about me, because like a dog beneath me, your bark has no bite, my bark carries plenty of weight!
The circles in which I associate, shall never become you dream!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
i know that guy very well i was at his grand mother funeral at wooldlwan 233 in the bronx
looking for an actress ?
Our Government it-self is like a movie. They say that they are moving the Country forward, whiles everything is at a stand still. The title of that movie should be: “IN MY POCKET.”
only we the people as a people can benefit from this upperunity,but we have to address our attitude.Film production business,is working together not pulling against each other,or else we will remain like(what shall i do)empty dreamers.I wish us goodluck.
It’s nice to have a dream, but look on experience of your colleagues (from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean:_Dead_Man's_Chest )
On April 18, 2005,[12] the crew began shooting at Dominica, a location Verbinski had selected as he felt it fitted the sense of remoteness he was looking for.[6] That was exactly the problem during production: the Dominican government were completely unprepared for the scale of a Hollywood production, with the 500-strong crew occupying around 90% of the roads on the island and having trouble moving around on the underdeveloped roads. The weather also alternated between torrential rainstorms and hot temperatures, the latter of which was made worse for the cast who had to wear period clothing.
@Comment,I understand the magnitude of the problem re moving around but about the weather… the movie promoter here said here in New York on live television that “the weather in Dominica was just perfect. It rained at times but we actually saved money because we did not have to make artificial rain, at times the rain was spontaneous and we capitalized on that.” He also stated that they took lots of additional footage which could be used in a follow up part (film) if they felt like it and things could not have been better.
If you went to school you would know NEVER use Wikipedia as a source of info.
Dreams do come true. We cannot control the weather, rain or shine, nor the heat. Do you think the US do not have these kind of weather/temperatures? We want better yet we criticize.
Prior to filming movies in Dominica, they are aware of its size and the climate. Therefore, they should expect anything. Wherever we reside, the weather is always a surprise, rain or shine. The forecast could be sunny and then it rains and vice versa. Therefore, they should take it as it is, adapt themselves to what is and work around it.
Note movies that are made in other locations of the world. The weather could be good or bad, the terrain mountainous and the sea is choppy. It depends what type of movie is being filmed and for what reason.
Those who plan to make movies in Dominica should do their research. What are they doing, bringing 500 people all at once. They could bring a few people and later expand the film, “for additional footage” as ‘Just my two cents’ stated. It makes good sense for conditions as previously mentioned.
I can understand if the film is being made in the Botanical Gardens or Windsor Park, in areas as these but not on roads in Dominica with that amount of people.
Alot has changed in Dominica since 2005 #imjustsaying
Sounds like it is hollywood who was unprepared and did not do their homework in advance. They wanted something remote, what did they expect?? They come to a tropical country and expect winter??? Two hundred years ago the weather was the same and the people wore their period clothing. If they want to mimic people, why complain? They shot the first pirates of the caribbean in St. Vincent so they knew about weather. Maybe hollywood need better brains and wikipedia I must stay this is a crap report.
The powers that be has no future lense for the country. The future lense they have is for their pockets and that will be short lived.
Our Country has a lot to offer and a lot of revenue to make every Dominican comfortable. Unfortunately, the inefficient and virtually blind people in power cannot see this and therefore cannot work to achieve anything that will not benefit them directly.
Thanks for opening our eyes wider on access and the other possible potentials. Some folks will still doubt your dream even though u show them what you have accomplish because of your dream.
In a nut shell, those DUNCE CAT that running the country need to get out and go in private business. Lets see how long they will last…DLP NEEDS TO GO!!
Politics again!!grrrhhh
U not EZ
Why do you not allow the man to make that decision? You will not succeed in your quest to deter his dream. I think that if he felt production was impossible he would not have considered that challenge. Do you not believe he has done his research, your input is not the belief of everyone. I think that the Government and the Island is more than ready for accommodation. Live and learn. DLP is NOT going anywhere, just yet.
Become an extra on the set, your tax contribution will help is building better roads and the MOST NEEDED AIRPORT.
Of course. He is a Dominican and he knows the size of the country and the climate. Some people concern themselves about what they should not concern themselves about.
Is people like u with your gutter mentality that is preventing the country from moving forward. U sound like an educated fool!!! The government is not the problem. People like u are
The movie industry recognises Dominica as God’s given setting for numerous presentations. Hopefully, Mr. Langlais will set the stage for the future development of the industry in our Nature Isle.
The film industry has an unparalell attraction to Dominica and bodes well for the development of the industry in our Nature Isle.
Yes ! access to the country has again been identified as a set back to foreign investment and economic growth.
lengthening a short runway is a temporary fix , and not a long term solution
History may prove that our neighbors had a more advance lens to the future than we had
Amen! They really need to build an international airport now.
will there be casting for locals?
Yes, there will be casting for locals.
Dominica should be able to meet these requirements. Come on down,ASAP.
I think that the only requirements that may not be met is that of the people with SMALL MINDS and NO VISION.