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Text Box: Greetings From Guatemala THE TREATMENTText Box: Parker Mortensen was a 15-year-old kid from Denver. He lived with his mother and older brother Jake (17). Eight years ago, through the backdoor, his father fled family and country when the FBI knocked on the front door. He hadn’t been seen or heard from since, except for a BLANK POSTCARD postmarked “Guatemala”, still hanging on the side of the fridge. Parker’s memories were of baseball when Dad was coach. Family was strong and healthy; a loved and nurtured mother with two happy sons. His father was the king of the neighborhood, loved by everyone. This was his father’s gift, amongst other things, namely, his living… narcotics. He was largest dealer in Colorado, distributing more than 50% of the drugs in the state in the late 80’s. He hid behind the alias of a stock trader. On his way out the back door on that fateful day, his last words to his wife were, “I’m sorry, wait for me”. Seven years later, the quality of life drugs provided to the Mortensen home diminished greatly. Having sold most everything of value, they moved downtown where rent was cheaper, but so was safety and security. Parker and his brother developed one strong attribute from their father, street smarts. Although drugs and violence were part of everyday life, Parker despised them, at least the drugs. Fighting came with the territory, and was certainly fueled by the frustration of waiting for Dad. Hope was fleeting. Parker’s mother Meredith ran a commercial glass storefront. But over the past 6 months job security was disappearing. Unexplained headaches were becoming so painful she couldn’t get out of bed some days, and doctors were slow to find a cause, but not slow to bill… a stack growing on the bathroom counter. Money had been an issue since becoming single again, but now it was dire. The bank left messages daily threatening foreclosure. Parker’s older brother Jake took matters into his own hands, and into the footsteps of Dad. Selling drugs paid a few bills. When Parker learned of this, innocence officially died, and saving Mom was all that mattered, especially with the fear of cancer. Gillian and Mackenzie were Parker’s best friends. Gillian lived in the neighborhood, but during the past year, was spending a lot of time downtown. Ironically, she had gotten involved with some of the products Parker’s Dad distributed. Fortunately and miraculously, she’d pulled out of it. The pain and scars they left help to create the bond she shared with Parker. That was where they connected. If anyone was going to hear the idea, it was Gillian. And the idea came from Mackenzie. His father had been close with Parker’s back in the good old days. Mac came across his father’s personal journal, with very private information about a large sum of private money… hidden in a very private place. Drug money doesn’t get deposited into federal banks. The idea would set Parker on the quest of his life, trying to help save someone else’s. And the only one who has the answer is the one who left with it, through the backdoor. Growing up happens fast, really fast, and friendship is the caravan. But growing up is none negotiable, and so is family. “Greetings from GUATEMALA” is a story about hope in the face of desperation, commitment to the only thing in life that matters, and the willingness to not give up. And what surfaces is a glimpse of faith in a living God, One who prepares the way through the wilderness, even into the mountains of Guatemala.


Text Box: Greetings From Guatemala ABOUT THE FILM
Text Box: His second feature film after debut directorial and award winning FERN HILL, Cole Claassen sets out with “Greetings from Guatemala”. Based on a True Story - – Tell us about this project. Cole - “I met a young man while we were shooting FERN HILL. He spent an afternoon with us. I met his mom and I asked what his dad did for a living. He told me he didn’t know, hadn’t seen him for seven years. I pried, intrigued, maybe not the most sensitive approach, but he wasn’t shy in sharing that his dad sold drugs, and when he had been found out by the police, he disappeared without a word before going to prison, never said goodbye. I was moved, you hear a story like that and think wow, but to hear it from a 10 year old’s mouth… I stashed the story for over a year, but thought of it often. My parents divorced when I was 10, so the idea of a broken family wasn’t new. However, this one made me think, what would I have done… if anything. “Greetings From Guatemala” emerged as I contemplated that question: the boy, now 15 years old with a single mother threatened by a potentially deadly medical issue, what does a he do in that desperation, especially when he finds out Dad may still be alive, living in central America, with a lot of money unaccounted for?” – In writing this story, what are you hoping to communicate? Cole – “I wanted to write a story that would find a positive end out of a tragic beginning. Growing up, my childhood and teen years were largely shaped by a handful of movies. I want to make movies that will positively influence others lives with meaningful, impacting and entertaining stories that point to the existence to a living, loving God.” LOCATIONS – Cole – “Denver really sets the tone for Parker’s story with it’s combination of urban, big city life bordered by the natural beauty of the Rocky Mtns. It matches his inner struggle. I like the fact that it’s not L.A. or N.Y., it’s middle America, but there’s a real hip and edgy art and music scene, kids are real, down to earth. You’re not overwhelmed with glitz and glamour. Again, it represents a paradox, urban, real world grit with a glimpse of God’s country. Parker has a heart that desires love, but already at 15-years old, he is overwhelmed by the difficulties of life. And I should add, there’s a strong film community now which means we can hire talented local crew.” Why GUATEMALA? “I’ve been to Guatemala and found it to be a peaceful and simple world. It says something about values in that as a developing country, impoverished mostly, it is full of beautiful, happy people. It is realistic that someone could disappear and start a new life. I wanted Parker to have to go to a place, away from everything he’s ever known, to experience how the rest of the world lives and learn that life is full of beauty again. On a quest to uncover pain and anger, he finds forgiveness and kindness. Practically, I have close friends there who can help us with local crew and housing for a skeleton crew. We can have the international production value and still work within our budget.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: Production Time Table The projected timetable for this project has a principle photography start date of August 6th, 2007. Three weeks shooting in Denver. One week in Honduras for Guatemala. • 6 weeks preproduction beginning June 25th. • 4 weeks of shooting principle photography. • 12 weeks postproduction. Total time frame: 22 weeks until completion for distribution and festival submissions. Format: We will be shooting digitally on HD format. Digital HD will save us money as well as time. This will allow us to get ahead of the editing game daily by capturing our dailies and cutting rough cuts weekly, and will also allow us to save time and money on reshoots as we will know the footage we have shot each and every day.
Text Box: Greetings From Guatemala ABOUT THE FILMMAKER  

 


Text Box: Cole Claassen-Director -- Writer/Director Cole Claassen graduated from Western State College in Gunnison Colorado in 1998 and has been working in the film industry in Los Angeles for the past 8 years. After finding his passion for motion picture while producing skiing and snowboarding videos out of Crested Butte, he started Agape Productions and began writing and directing short films, music videos, commercials, and television programs. A heart for making films that renew hope and redemption within his audiences, Cole writes stories of real life characters in real life situations, who, at the end of their journey, have eyes to see what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent and praiseworthy in this world, and asks a moviegoer to think about these things. His debut feature film, FERN HILL, won a number of festival awards and has recently been signed for domestic and foreign distribution. Agape Productions is a team of like-minded producers committed to developing and carrying to fruition media projects aimed at edifying and encouraging the culture. A for-profit LLC, we are in business to earn return on investment for our company and our investors. Starting with small ski videos 10 years ago and now on to major motion pictures, Agape Productions is here to do business, and might just throw a brick through a window to mix it up along the way... Join us, life is short, good work to be done. greetingsfromguatemala.com