The readers of the Twelve Mile Circle are the greatest. They’re always looking out for me. Loyal visitor “Bill” sent a message letting me know that Hollywood is planning to focus on a popular geo-oddity in an upcoming feature film. Seriously. It would be create quite a splash since it’s the latest project of Kathryn Bigelow, the director of The Hurt Locker.
The project focuses on the Triple Frontier (which I’ve featured previously), the place where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay come together at a single point (map). Bill forwarded a news link [link no longer works] which explains that the film would focus on alleged Arab terrorists who use the porous borders of the Triple Frontier to their advantage.
These types of allegations have been denied by the each of the governments for several years. Rampant smuggling perhaps, but not terrorism. So apparently these nations are not at all pleased with the level of negative attention a film of this caliber would generate.
Geo-Movies?
That got me thinking. Maybe it’s the right time for geo-geeks to insert themselves within the greater consciousness of popular culture. Maybe we can pitch a few geo-movie plots. We could create a whole cinematic genre. Kids will get inked with 45X90 tattoos before we know it. Does anyone have any Hollywood connections?
Story Ideas
I thought of some possibilities.
- Nineteenth Century explorers arrive atop a hydrological apex. They decide to forge onward through untamed wilderness, following a creek to its natural outlet. Then they confront a harrowing choice: Pacific? Atlantic? Arctic?
- A woman finds true love on the Internet and she decides to meet her soul mate in Cocklebiddy, Western Australia. Will she discover that Cocklebiddy observes the unofficial Australian Central Western Standard Time (UTC+8:45)? Or will she miss her destiny forever?
- Members of an anti-government militia seize a popular National Park and barricade themselves in the only concrete structure within miles. Will the lowest public restroom in North America survive the ordeal?
- If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, or the Netherlands, or maybe Belgium Again. It depends on where in Baarle Hertog/Nassau one happens to be standing at the moment.
- A lovable but misguided wanderer travels to Nepal to find himself and scale the heights of Mount Everest. However, he ends up at the lowest elevation in Nepal instead.
- A spy thriller set in Washington, DC reaches a dramatic conclusion at the American Meridian. I don’t know what happens prior to that point but it would involve a lot of the usual spy stuff.
I hereby offer my humble services as a consultant for Hollywood producers or directors who happen to require expertise in geographic weirdness.
Somehow I don’t expect to quit my day job.
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