By Devin Zydel on 2008-02-01
Daniel Craig as James Bond
WARNING: Possible plot spoilers
It was confirmed in early January that Panama woud be featuring in the then-untitled 22nd James Bond film (and first brought up as a possibility way back in September ’07). Now, a Yahoo news report has shed a few more details on what to expect at this particular Quantum of Solace production shoot.
The old port of the Panamanian capital and the historic village of Portobelo on the Atlantic coast will be featured in Quantum of Solace.
The executive assistant of the office of the Old Town, Pitu Jaén, responsible for coordinating filming permits in the area, indicated that after speaking to some of the crew members involved on the 007 film, the scenes in Panama will correspond to the plot that develops in a South American country.
As already assumed, Panama will not be portraying Panama in the film, but rather a South American country the producers did not wish to name at the time.
‘The idea is to give the impression of being an Andean country. I believe that Panama will be Bolivia… not Panama,’ he said.
Panama’s El Casco Antiguo (Old Quarters)
The office has leased parking lots adjacent to the National Theatre, because this is where some 1000 extras will be located to rest as they film in the ancient building of the National Institute of Culture, which is in the Old City,’ Jaén added.
‘We are providing the parking and the city of Panama, where it was placed before the public market, which will be used as a production centre.’
Filming is scheduled to begin at the National Institute of Culture building on 11 February and is planned to last roughly a week. Shooting is also planned to take place at a few other sites in the area, including the former colonial social club.
Constructed in 1931 as part of the walled area of the city, the National Institute of Culture will be transformed into a hotel for the Quantum of Solace shoot. Featuring refurbished halls and stairs, the building will serve as the location for one of the main action sequences in the film where, according to local press, an assassination attempt is made on Daniel Craig’s James Bond while he is in the elevator.
Furthermore, the local press published a note stating that on 14 and 15 February, ‘shooting will take place in the Patio Rochet’ between 6:00pm and 6:00am. The note was signed by James Grant, the location manager in Panama, who apologised in advance for the ‘degree of disturbance’ that the shooting will likely cause.
Additionally, the district mayor of Portobelo, in the Atlantic province of Colon (north of the captial), Carlos Chavarria, explained that he had already held a meeting with the production crew, and filming on that coast will take place between 1-4 March.
‘They are going to shoot in the town of La Guaira, on Isla de Cabra and in the Túnel del Amor (Tunnel of Love), a place where there is only mangroves and is located between the towns of Garrote and Cacique,’ he said.
Chavarria noted that the Quantum of Solace filming will be highlighting several historic sites of Portobelo and further revealed revealed that hiring of some people for extra work is scheduled, ‘although most are being chosen in (the city of) Colon.’
Keep watching the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.
