(infosurhoy.com) Any city or country loves to see its name in lights as the setting of a movie. New York, California and Paris have long dominated movie venues, but this year there’s a new player: Panama.
No fewer than seven major international productions will be shot this year in the Central American country known best for its busy canal.
It is hosting stars of the stature of Robert De Niro, Benicio del Toro, Gael García Bernal and Dwayne Johnson, the wrestler who goes by the name “The Rock.”
Until now, Panama had been the setting of only two foreign flicks: The Tailor of Panama, a 2001 film starring Pierce Brosnan, and Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond movie, starring Daniel Craig, in 2008.
But this year will be a bustling one on the movie front. The government attributes the increase to a new law that reimburses movie producers for some of their costs, and perks that include a varied landscape offering everything from jungle to urban settings to desert.
“The only thing you are not going to find in Panama is snow. But don’t worry, they can handle that in post-production,” said Arianne Benedetti, director general of cinema at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.