Bermuda is perfect for an IMAX film

An American filmmaker has fallen so in love with Bermuda on his first visit that he wants to make an IMAX film about the island.

Dave Savage is a freelance filmmaker who has worked with MacGillivray Freeman Films, the leader in IMAX films. The company has produced 35 IMAX films.

It is the world’s largest independent producer of IMAX films shot in some of the most extraordinary and remote areas on earth.

Arriving in the island last week, Mr Savage said: “I was looking out the window and I thought, I can’t ever remember seeing Bermuda in an IMAX film. Why not?

Beautiful

“Its so beautiful here. There’s so many things that are unique from any other place on earth.”

Mr Savage said doing a film on Bermuda would help to separate it from the Caribbean because more people would know how close it is to the US. 

He also said a focus on the Sargasso Sea would make sense since Bermuda is the only island in the sea.

“There’s an image problem with Bermuda and that’s because airlines and travel companies lump Bermuda with the Caribbean region.

“Bermuda needs to be repositioned as some gateway to Sargasso Sea. Everything about Bermuda should be pitching the Sargasso Sea.

Tourism

He also said making the film could help with tourism as airline numbers have been declining over the years.

“When an airline makes a decision to reduce service, automatically that goes in the news. People find out about that really quick, especially in the travel industry.

“When you start seeing it across the board, reductions in airline services, it casts a shadow over the region. That becomes a PR disaster really.

“I’ve never been to Bermuda before. I came here knowing that the travel has been depressed and that it’s a beautiful place.”

Speaking on the film company, Mr Savage said he has travelled all over the world making films and likes to visit interesting yet stable places.

He said MacGillivray focuses on oceanography because the owners Greg and Barbara are ocean lovers. Their first movie was called To Fly!

Awards

Two of its films, Dolphins (2000) and The Living Sea (1995) were nominated for Academy Awards.

“The highest grossing IMAX film ever produced is Everest and they made it. The film grossed over $175 million.”

He also said Meryl Streep has done the voiceovers for half of the company’s films and Helen Mirren has narrated as well.

“I really think this could be a really good thing for Bermuda. The films appeal to the upper echelons of people who are the wealthiest. Most of these theatres are built in conjunction with an aquarium or a museum. You are going directly to people who make these decisions. It’s a way of hitting your target audience really, really effectively.”