2003-10-24 10:01:13

Movie Goes Ahead After Lumber Scare

"After The Sunset", scheduled to begin shooting today, faced serious challenges when a shipment of lumber to be used for building the set failed to come through, the source said.

The lumber , earmarked for the film, was believed to have been sent to Iraq, after US President Bush sent out a communication that all orders for construction projects in Iraq were to take priority.

Last month, USA Today reported that the Defence Logistics Agency - the US military's prime supplier, was purchasing more than 20 million feet of plywood sheets for US forces' base camps, guard posts and other projects.

The order caused a massive shortage in the US. In the Bahamas plywood prices rose by 49 per cent. Local suppliers were concerned that the shortage, caused by the military's demands, would have been disatrous for the Bahamas if the threatening 160mph Hurricane Isabel had hit. The report said that America's largest supplier, Georgia Pacific had announced that there was no plywood available for sale at that time.

The Tribune tried to conatct the film's publicist Sid Swank, who was out of office up to press time. Staff said only that Mr. Swank had authority to speak to the press.

Bahamas Plays and Films Control Board Senior Manager Angela Archer said she was unaware of the possible failure of the million dollar film project.

It is reported that more tha a thousand Bahamians have been recruited as extras to play roles such as tourists, hotle workers, restaurant staff, exotic dancers, street crowds, and stand-in's for the main stars. The set's main location is next to Club Med on Paradise Island.

The Hollywood actors to appear in "After The Sunset" include Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson and Don Cheadle.

Source: By Felicity Ingraham, The Tribune