“If we don’t tell our stories, we risk losing them”, Cayman’s most prominent filmmaker Frank E. Flowers told the Compass as he prepared for the release of what could prove to be a breakthrough film not only for himself, but for the Cayman Islands.
It may sound strange to speak of a breakthrough for someone who has spent more than two decades in the industry. From his debut Haven, starring Orlando Bloom and Zoe Saldana, to his work on major international productions, including Shooting Stars and Bob Marley, One Love, Flowers is already an established Hollywood figure.
But he acknowledges, The Bluff – coming to Amazon Prime next week and screening in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac this weekend ahead of Tuesday’s premiere in Los Angeles – represents another level.
“This one feels different. It’s a milestone for me personally, but also for Caymanian stories and for where we are culturally right now,” he said.
The Bluff – named for the iconic cliffs of Cayman Brac – is a 19th-century action thriller following a former pirate forced to return to violence to protect her family when her past catches up with her.
Set in 1840s Cayman, the film was shot primarily in Australia on large-scale period sets and drew inspiration from locations around the islands.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who leads the cast alongside Karl Urban, visited the island to soak up the culture and music and made a genuine connection with Cayman and its people, Flowers said.
“It was important to me that the people making the film experienced Cayman for themselves and Priyanka really embraced that.
“Having her on the island helped ground the film emotionally, because she understood what she was fighting for in the story.”
The Caymanian director said he and co-writer Joe Ballarini drew on archival research for the screenplay, but the movie owes more to the pomp and pageantry of Pirates Week than to strict historical record.
Flowers, 47, remembers watching crowds amassed in George Town Harbour as a child.
“Everything feels bigger when you’re a kid. Those invasions, the costumes, the defending of the shores – that sense of danger and fun stuck with me.”
There are glimmers of truth woven through the tale. Flowers and Ballarini spent time in the National Archive, “tracing the breadcrumbs” from which Cayman’s pirate legends emerge.
“At a certain point in our history, there are only a handful of documents,” he said. “That’s where the imagination comes in – filling the gaps while staying emotionally authentic. We’re not making a documentary. We’re making an exhilarating action movie, but one that’s grounded in who we are.”
The end result, Flowers hopes, is a film that works as an entertaining action story, a reflection of Cayman’s past, and a universal tale of a mother protecting her family and home.
“It was really great to go back to that emotional core and make a film that not only I want to see as adult Frank E., but that would be cool and exhilarating for young Frank E. too,” he said.
After decades in the business, Flowers insists he is not nervous ahead of a release.
“What makes this moment enjoyable is that we’re all very proud of the film,” he said. “I really do feel like we got to make the movie that was in my head. At this point, it’s about giving the movie to the world and letting people enjoy it.”
Flowers is also keenly aware of his place at the forefront of what he sees as a new era in Caymanian filmmaking. While it was not possible to shoot a production on the scale of The Bluff in Cayman, he believes a combination of a new film incentive structure, the pandemic-era boom in content creation and a rising generation of Caymanian talent could soon make that possible.
He points to filmmakers such as Jazz Pitcairn, a Caymanian writer who has worked with HBO Max and is now developing her short film Ivan into a feature, as evidence of that momentum.
“It’s a beautiful time,” Flowers said. “Technology has democratised storytelling. You can make films for less and reach people faster.”
Though based in Los Angeles, Flowers returns to Cayman frequently and remains closely involved with the Cayman Islands Film Commission. He sees it as part of his role to help nurture the next generation of local talent.
“Someone held the door open for me. Now it’s my turn,” he said.
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