The Tribune

ALMOST a month of filming on Eleuthera with 30 cast and crew will result in Shark Week, another film made in the Bahamas by a Los Angeles production team. Craig Woods, Bahamas Film and Television Commissioner, pointed out that the Bahamas has had success in attracting many large-scale studio films. However, he said, this latest production demonstrated that smaller, independent films can also be valuable to the country. Director Christopher Ray said the interesting caves in Eleuthera first attracted his team to the island. "But once we got here, we realised the ocean, the people, everything else has been a great experience," he said. Although the production presented several unexpected challenges, Mr Ray was certain that the final film would be a good one. "We've seen some of the footage already, and the place is gorgeous," he said. "So it is going to pay off for us in the end." The film, by Asylum Productions, stars Peter Bergin (Sleeping with the Enemy, Patriot Games) and Yancy Butler (Lake Place 3, Drop Zone, Hard Target). The story centres on a madman who imprisons a group of people on an island and places them through a series of challenges involving dangerous sharks. Josh Williams, Shark Week's line producer, pointed out that the beauty of the beaches and the water turned out to be a bonus in addition to the fascinating caves they knew they would find on Eleuthera. Apart from filming, he also enjoyed snorkeling while taking a break from work. "I went over to Rainbow Bay and jumped in the water and went snorkeling," he said. "Normally, in most places you go, you have to take a boat and go out to the reefs. But we were able to snorkel right around the cliffs. We saw coral, all kinds of different species of fish and grouper and stingrays and lobsters, and it was just amasing." Mr Williams said the team also ended up filming a scene at the bar at the Rainbow Inn on Eleuthera. It is a scene that Eleutherans can look forward to seeing in the movie, he said.