An independent movie in the Algarve ► Suzy Turner

I’m making a movie! Ok, so maybe I’m not the one doing all the hard work. That would be the main man, Pedro Frias. But between us we’ve written and filmed an entire movie and now Pedro is busy in the studio editing, then it’ll be over to the sound and everything else that happens once a movie has been shot. The Eye of Praxos is an independent movie in the Algarve.
We met whilst working on a completely different movie called The Right Juice, which we were fortunate enough to be involved with a few years ago. Pedro had a small acting role and I was the Script Supervisor (which was amazing but talk about hard work, phew!) and we talked about collaborating on a project. Both of us had assumed it would be a short book trailer or something like that. But then we got talking, one thing led to another and we were soon working on a full-on film! Initially we had intended it to be about 10 minutes long. Currently it’s about an hour lol. But what’s been so amazing about working on this project is that the entire thing has been done without a budget – and I don’t mean the sky’s the limit. I mean, no money, no budget. So everyone involved has offered up their time for nothing. And most of the people have donated a lot of time and effort. We even had one amazing actor (Charlie, below) who flew over from the UK just to be in it. How cool is that?

There are many amazing actors in the movie, one of whom (Kat-iya, pictured above) is currently studying in a very popular London-based acting school (I believe Kate Winslet attended there). From the moment I met her, I had a feeling that one day she would be famous. She’s like a young Angelina Jolie and boy does she look good on screen.

We’ve had some some amazing times whilst filming and have been lucky enough to have been allowed to shoot in some fabulous locations like the convent in Lagoa, the private hospital in Alvor and numerous villas and their grounds around the Algarve. Everyone has been so warm and welcoming and fun to be around and I can’t wait for this movie to be ready to release. We’re hoping to have a proper red carpet premiere event and will undoubtedly enter it into many film festivals and contests. So do watch this space and keep an eye out for The Eye of Praxos – a movie based loosely on my Morgan Sisters novels – you can download Daisy Madigan’s Paradise (a novella) for free if you like.

It was always one of my dreams so to have been able to work on a movie so to get the chance to be involved with two has been simply amazing! And for them both to have been Algarve movies is utterly fabulous. Have you ever worked on a movie? Is it something you’d like to do? What’s your secret ambition? Because anything is possible if you want it hard enough, you know? Unless you’re talking about marrying Brad Pitt, of course!

A couple of behind the scenes shots: