THE spotlight is focused on a bar called Statue of Liberty on the dot of an island called Saipan, a melting pot of people with various nationalities in the Pacific Ocean.
The Statue of Liberty (which is the former Hamilton’s Bar in Gualo Rai) is the regular meeting place of people with different backgrounds but brought together by a common goal of They are all looking for ‘America’ on Saipan.
The Statue of Liberty bar is a mute witness to the quest for fulfillment to their different aspirations, dreams and goals.
“The State of Liberty: Looking for America” is a film shot entirely on Saipan in 2005 by Dan Shor, an award-winning television/film actor, director, writer and teacher at the Northern Marianas College who used to live on Saipan, and Ben Salas, a Hawaii-born actor and producer whose family moved to Saipan in 1985.
When the two met, a creation was born –The State of Liberty: Looking for America, which the two envisioned as Saipan’s gift to the world of entertainment.
The lead characters in the story – a mix of Japanese, Chinese, Chamorro, Carolinian, Bangladeshi, Filipino, Russian, and Americans represents the different people who share the pursuit of life together.
The five interconnected story lines in “The State of Liberty: Looking for America” takes the viewer to all the scenic spots and captures the beauty and local color of the island.
The story is centered on a Chinese woman who is searching for her half-brother named America.
Starring in the film are Saipan’s international residents, some of whom have already left the island) including Elena Alexandrova, Tony Angelo, Heather Calderwood, Joseph Calimlim, Myla Capilitan, Li Ying Guo, Sean Maycock, Tanya Oscar Nobuko, Kyoko Reber, Ben Salas, Angel Santos, Dan Shor, Raby Syed, Joe Taijeron, Jason Tarkong, Jing Yang, Bo Zancanella, and other people in the CNMI.
“The State of Liberty: Looking for America” has been reissued so grab the chance to see your friends bring the true color of Saipan to life.
A copy of the DVD is available as part of the Passion Profit Company’s SaipanLiving series for $19.95. Buy your DVD copy at http://www.amazon.com/Looking-America-Saipan-Story-Shor/dp/B003KK5ARK.