Latest update April 24th, 2026 12:40 AM
Budding Aussie film maker mesmerized with Guyana’s beauty
By Romila Boodram
Guyana is paradise for anyone who wants to escape from the rigours of everyday life. The country has an
Max De Bowen
irresistible combination of fascinating and breathtaking natural beauty, rich heritage and the most hospitable people, says budding Australian writer/ director Max De Bowen.
De Bowen is at present in Guyana scouting for locations and casting of supporting roles for the production of a feature film ‘A Bitter Lime.’
De Bowen, who is here for a third time, said that the film is based on a young couple who is tired of their everyday life in Los Angeles and wants to go somewhere a bit more exotic and far away from all their regular drama.
“The name of the movie is a bit ironic. It is a feeling of good and bad at the same time, and Lime is a Guyanese word for a party,” De Bowen said, adding that he started putting things in place for the movie since in 2012.
“Making a film comes down to quality and budget. We can do the filming in one month, but we will have to put things in place to do the filming.”
De Bowen said that the movie will cost approximately US$60,000.
“It is an independent project. We (De Bowen and his partners) took private loans from a bank to finance the project and we have sponsors.”
According to the film director, he picked Guyana to film his movie because it is an amazing blend of the Caribbean and South America. It’s a country where anyone who is on an “escape mission” would want to visit.
“I am a big traveller. I have travelled 31 different countries and I have found Guyana the most interesting. I don’t think people really get to see Guyana outside the Caribbean. People don’t know a lot about Guyana,” the Australian film maker said.
He added that when he first informed his colleagues that Guyana would be the ideal country to film the movie, they were a bit skeptical because none of them knew anything about this country.
“It was not until I came here and took pictures and made documentations then they change their minds,” De Bowen said. A Bitter Lime would be his first movie.
There will be approximately 70 people involved in the project, including Guyanese in the supporting cast and crew.
The movie will be filmed at places like 704 Sports Bar on Lamaha Street; Palm Court, Main Street; Tropicana Hotel and Jerries on Waterloo Street; Theatre Guild and Main Street, Georgetown.
“We are also planning on getting some helicopter shots of Georgetown and we will be filming on a barge in the Demerara River,” De Bowen stated.
It will be shot in September and a part of the production team will be coming here from Canada, Los Angeles and Singapore.
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