MOVIES IN MEXICO

(This article originally appeared in the February 5th, 2013 edition of the Century City News)

Editorial by Mick Merivel

While working on a few particular tasks involving my own current film projects it dawned on me that filming in Mexico had been completely taken off the table with regard to production. I asked some fellow friends and colleagues in the vast land of filmmaking and was surprised to hear that I’d be crazy to film in Mexico at this time. I put my thoughts on the back burner and focused on other tasks I had on hand, but in the back of my mind I wondered why the shift had taken place from a favorite country to film in to a country to never film in…What had happened?

I decided to look into what had changed in Mexico and I’ve been astonished by the information I discovered. Without getting anyone in trouble and deciding not to name names or point fingers let’s just cover the main points. Mexico is in trouble. It is currently being run by a known corrupt government, and the drug trade and kidnapping, not to mention the violence just upon their own people has escalated to new highs. Filming in Mexico is simply out of the question at this time. And personally to me I find that very sad. Thinking of a number of amazing and fun films that I’ve seen probably just like you that were filmed there a number of years ago, it is a tragedy that we cant take the quick jaunt to Mexico any longer and that a huge number of projects are and have been filming to a neighbor in the north, Canada.

I’m not tarnishing the people of Mexico. On the contrary, they are some of the best people in the world and as we all know some of the hardest working and happiest. I guess my ramblings of thought are really just being sent out to all of you out there in the film community and beyond, that with our power and influence let us focus on our nearest neighbor to the south a bit more than we have been. Let us all tell our congressmen and women and Senators that we care about our neighboring country and any assistance we can contribute to them to help end the violence and bloodshed there and bring Mexico back into the fold of our amazingly fun and influential business the better for both our countries.

Mick recently produced the film "American Federale" that can be seen on iTunes, Amazon, and GooglePlay.