A UNIQUE airship is going up over the Kaieteur National Park where the German movie company, Marco Polo Films, is shooting scenes for a 90-minute commercial film based on the park.
The specially built white airship to be used as a main vehicle in the production was flown to the site unassembled and had been almost completely put together by yesterday.
Company officials said the balloon-type craft is the first of its kind in the world to be used in movie making.
Minister of Tourism, Mr. Manzoor Nadir yesterday led a team of tourism officials and journalists to the Kaieteur National Park to see how the film crew was progressing with the project.
The movie to be produced by Marco Polo already has premier billing and would be showcased at the `Wild Screen’ film festival in Bristol, England during October this year, officials of the German-based company said.
Shooting of the film began two Sundays ago and footage for the entire movie would be done over a period of about four weeks, Film Director, Mr. Werner Herzog said.
The airship is helium powered and will bring a new perspective to filming and movie making, he said.
It would be able to travel above the canopy of the rainforest and would be backed up by a small air support vehicle, in case of an emergency, such as a storm taking it off course. The vehicle will go to the rescue of the film crew, Herzog explained.
The airship can float silently above and around the forest discovering plants and wildlife and is completely ecologically compatible.
Herzog said Kaieteur was chosen as the location to film for the movie because it is an area that is totally unique.
"I have worked in many countries before and have seen many spectacular places but have never seen anything like this", he commented.
The movie will give Guyana's tourism potential a significant publicity boost. The idea of the movie is already sold to countries such as Australia and Japan, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the UK, and German TV, Producer, Ms. Annette Scheurich said.
However, this is not a public relations exercise being done by the film company for Guyana and Kaieteur, although the film will spark some interest abroad.
Herzog estimates that about 100 million people will see the movie the first time round.
Nadir said he is planning to be at the film festival in England during the screening to sell Guyana to people who may be interested in visiting here.
He is anticipating that the film will lure viewers from overseas to visit Guyana for a first hand look.
He said the movie will serve to make Guyana's name familiar to executives in the television industry, as opportunities for future films.