More Orlando Posters Youth Culture Rooms Trends / Lifestyles College Favorites	Chapter 3 - Producing and Casting Haven
	The first “situation” we meet Fritz in is when he gets caught sleeping in a bungalow that isn’t his. It is Pippa, portrayed by Agnus Bruckner, who discovers the streetwise punk, and is immediately charmed by him. “Pippa is a real innocent, but also a bit of a wild child,” says Bruckner, known for her role in Murder By Numbers as well as her numerous appearances on the hit series 24. “I loved portraying her because she has a wide range of character traits and emotions. First she’s confused and upset by being uprooted from her home in Miami. Then she’s rebellious and vulnerable at the same time as she explores this exotic new world of the Caymans. It was a very diverse role, not to mention the fact I got to play it in paradise!” One of the main characters tainting that paradise is gang leader Ritchie Ritch, portrayed by Raz Adotti, who audiences will remember from the popular film, Black Hawk Down. In Haven, however, Adotti’s character is anything but heroic. “I play one of the bad guys on the island, someone who a lot of people owe money, including Fritz,” explains Adotti. “You see, Ritchie thinks he’s a big tough guy, but really he’s a big fish in a little pond. His story ends up intersecting with Carl Ridley’s when Fritz spies Ridley with all those hundreds. There’s a lot of stories intertwining like that in this film, so you’re not just focused on only one person’s journey. It’s a really interesting ride, and from the moment I read the script I was captivated.” With haunting original music by Heitor Pereira of Simply Red fame, and breathtaking camerawork by up-and-coming cinematographer Michael Bernard, Haven has an impressive list of actors rounding out over 30 speaking roles. For example, Stephen Dillane, who starred opposite Nicole Kidman in the Oscar®- winning movie The Hours, portrays the sleazy Mr. Allen, the money launderer who involves Ridley in his crooked deals. Anthony Mackie, who portrays Andrea’s hot-tempered brother Hammer, came to Haven after the distinct honor of being knocked out by Morgan Freeman in the Academy Award®-winning Million Dollar Baby. Even one of the smaller roles, such as Mr. Allen’s wife attracted an actor the caliber of Sarah Scott Thomas, who recently starred opposite Bruce Willis in Hostage; and audiences are certain to recognize Haven’s FBI agent Bobby Cannavale, who was Will’s boyfriend Vince in the hit series Will & Grace. In addition to using traditional Hollywood talent, Flowers wanted to stay true to the spirit of the authentic island culture, and as such the producers set up an acting school to audition and train local hopefuls for different speaking and non-speaking roles in the film. Local actor Troy Sanford was discovered to portray a nightclub DJ. “We would work with the acting coach, doing exercises to sharpen our skills, and Frank and some of the actors would come in to encourage us,” recalls Sanford. “This one time I had a scene opposite Orlando, which was very nerve-wracking, but he was cool and helped me to relax and just go with it.” Before the cameras started rolling, Rasuk and Saldana often rehearsed with the local talent. “They really wanted to learn a lot from us in the same way that we wanted to learn from them,” remembers Rasuk. “There was a pay-off on each side.” Saldana agrees, commenting that the island felt almost “virginal” when they arrived. “Because many of the locals were immune to any kind of entertainment pattern, it was easy to attach yourself to their innocence and purity. It was a refreshing experience.” After five six-day weeks, some sixteen-hour days, and four days shy of Christmas morning, the cast and crew of Haven watched a beautiful sunset on the east side of the island. The film would be the first feature shot entirely in the Cayman Islands, and one of only a handful of major feature films helmed by a Caribbean writer/director. “I’ve learned that it’s really all about working with people with whom you want to work and finding cool stories you want to tell, and I am very proud to tell these people’s stories,” says Flowers. “I’ve also learned that making a movie is a very complicated process. A lot of elements have to come together logistically. Maybe that’s why it’s been said that every movie is a miracle.” CAYMAN ISLANDS FACTS • Discovered in 1503 by Columbus, the islands have been an official British territory since 1670. • The Cayman Islands are three separate islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. • The entire population of the islands comprises 40,000 inhabitants from 193 countries. • “Caymanian” is the proper term for locals. Fewer than half of the residents are actually from the island. • The Islands have very low crime and strict anti-drug laws. Island police do not carry guns. • Previously, the only other film shot on the islands was five days of shooting for The Firm. • With no direct taxation, which means that neither salaries nor business profits pay taxable dues, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 40,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 1998, including almost 600 banks and trust companies. Banking assets exceed $500 billion. • Because the islands cater to affluent investors and financial institutions, Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the world.
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