“Based on true events” is one way to sell what filmmaker S.J. Finlay has accomplished here with his newest war drama, Boy From Nowhere. The film takes its cues from Finlay’s experiences and fascination with the Philippines long since first visiting the country as a child.
Finlay directed the pic and produced from his own script with a cast of performers who’ve never acted before, including the young star living in a slum at the time. Remarkably, this project’s development also includes meeting with a former rebel leader in prison, and a local chieftain who was then cast in the film along with the local army and former gangsters for at least one key action scene.
This, on top of all the other exploits available in the film’s EPK would lead you to think a film about the making of this film would tell an even greater story. I guess we’ll see if things pan out from here, but certainly Finlay’s latest freshman outing should be of interest to some.
Based on true events, BOY FROM NOWHERE follows the story of Gary, a young and vulnerable Filipino boy who loses everything in an attack on his village that kills his father. Desperate to find his mother and her tribe, Gary sets out on a perilous journey while battling hunger and solitude. Along the way, he gets caught up in the dangerous world of gangs and is eventually brainwashed into becoming a child soldier for a local rebel faction. Vulnerable and malleable, Gary fights for survival until further loss leads him to find a more meaningful purpose for his life.
The directorial debut from SJ Finlay, BOY FROM NOWHERE is shot guerrilla style in the dangerous parts of the southern Philippines. Featuring a cast of non-actors, Finlay perfectly captures the harsh realities of war, the brutality of human behavior, and the risks someone may take to find their place in the world.
Buffalo 8 has since acquired the new pic and will release it on Amazon from February 17. Finlay is also behind the cinematography and is a producer on the film next to Joshua Huculiak, with a music score by Andrew Judah.
