This coming week, part of the valley will be transformed into the Afghanistan countryside as crews film a battle scene for an upcoming feature film called Painkillers.
The film, starring Canadian actors Colm Feore and Tahmoh Penikett, best known from Battle Star Galactica, is a modern day thriller and crews will be shooting in Drumheller for two days.
Calgary based producer Andrew Ferns says they will be filming in a location in the eastern part of Drumheller to shoot a battle scene. Earlier this week, technical staff was in the valley making preparations.
“It is a modern day piece and a bit of genre bender between science fiction and psychological thriller,” said Ferns.
He explains Major Cafferty, played by Penikett, wakes up in an institution with no memory and is told he was the leader of a squad of Marines who were sent on a mission in the mountains in Afghanistan.
“They want him to get over his obvious extreme PTSD and amnesia,” said Ferns. “As the movie progresses he begins to realize they are not Marines but mercenaries… and the friendly doctor, played by Colm Feore, is not that friendly.”
“At its root, Cafferty’s story is about a man, who, as a mercenary, is very removed from his family, cannot talk about where he goes or what he does and has a sense of guilt and remorse. So he is trying to get back to his family and back to himself.”
The bulk of the shooting will be in Calgary at a decommissioned Carewest Facility in Bridgeland, as well as created sets. It is expected to be in production for about 15 days, starting January 20. This is Fern’s first time working in Drumheller.
“We are very excited, and we are excited about the weather forecast,” chuckles Ferns, adding they scouted the location in -32 degrees Celsius weather.
During the shoot, he says residents may hear the sound of automatic gunfire, however he says there are not going to be any explosions.
The film is produced by Liberation Pictures, an Alberta owned company and it is directed by Canadian Peter Winther, who is now based in the U.S. Much of the cast and technical and creative crew is Canadian.
