Director Miguel Gómez

Director of the acclaimed Costa Rican feature film El Cielo Rojo, Miguel Gómez, has set his sites on the Nosara area to film the crucial final scenes of his latest movie entitled El Fin. Teamed up with photography Brett Pawlak, who has directed several Hollywood music videos, including one of the Smashing Pumpkins, Gómez will be shooting in our own back yard during the middle of July 2010.

Gómez summarizes his film’s overall theme as “the end of the world”, but he explains, “the focus is different than that of Armageddon.” He says, “what interests me more [than the group of people saving the world] is the perspective of the human being interpreting the end of the world.” The director aims to demonstrate how as “human beings we want different ends to the world.” He tells us “two of the characters decide they want to see the last sunset where they were happy as children”, which brings them here to Nosara for the “high point” of the film.

The idea behind El Fin spawned from an L.A. Film School lecture discussing themes for the students’ thesis projects. Gómez tells us his professor said, “well it can’t be the end of the world”, apparently thinking it too elaborate and expensive a feat for his students to accomplish, but Gómez simply retorted, “well why not?”.

Gómez and Pawlak took on the challenge together and the resulting short film The End won the award for Best Direction in the 2008 Costa Rican Movie and Video Sample. Now, two years later, the two men have joined forces once again to reproduce their inspired filmmaking success on an international level.

Scenes are set to be filmed in Garza, more specifically in Hotel Villagio, where the two above-mentioned protagonists recall the blissful days of their youth before facing the world’s end. Another focal point will be on Pelada Beach, which was chosen in part because of the unique ‘blowhole’ created by the rocks on the southern shoreline through which water spouts out when the tide is high enough.

Gómez tells us the great majority of the films’ actors are Costa Rican, and the entire movie will be filmed in Spanish. English subtitles will be added during the production process to be undergone in Los Angeles after they finish filming in Costa Rica. He says “the idea is for [El Fin] to premier in the beginning of 2011”, and will be featured in digital theatres in San José.

The director says El Fin “could serve to position Nosara as a popular filming destination. Imagine a place where someone [in a movie] says ‘I want to go see my last sunset in Nosara’. It calls attention to Nosara throughout the entire film. People are going to turn around and say ‘let’s go to that place’.” meaning the creation of El Fin is likely to have a positive impact on local area tourism as well.

He and his team are even working with the Nosara Tourism Council to create a promotional video, drawing attention to the wide variety of local area attractions.

Gómez and his film crew of 25 people will require accommodations during their stay in Nosara for the 5 days they are filming here this month. Some arrangements have already been taken care of, however the film team still requires transportation, lodging, food and other necessities while they are here. Anyone who would like to collaborate with the creation of El Fin can contact Gómez directly at [email protected].