By: Knox Graham
 
FLORA, Miss.—The latest movie to shoot inside the borders of Mississippi wrapped up its filming on Monday night.
 
“Rumors of Wars” has been shooting in the state and more specifically, Jackson, for the last several weeks.
 
“It’s an edgy faith-based redemptive thriller,” says producer Patrick Werksma.
 
I traveled about five miles outside of Flora, Miss. to their final shooting location on what appeared to be a family farm with an abandoned building surrounded by fields.
 
When I arrive on this particular day they’re waiting for the sun to go down to shoot some night scenes on the property and it’s cloudy and cold.
 
Some pranks are starting to break out among a few of the executives as the end of filming is in sight by nights end.
 
The Bostonian wingtips I have on are clearly out of place on this particular evening as there’s mud anywhere foot traffic has been established after raining through out the week.
 
Rehearsal with dozens of Mississippians who are extras in the movie takes place right before dark as they make the trek down a gravel road from costume tents and makeshift campers.
 
Werksma tells me many of the extras that will be seen in the movie were found in Mississippi after the crew arrived in state.
 
“You know we came here and the Mississippi film office really rolled out the red carpet and was really a huge help and made us feel welcome,” he says.
 
Things begin to get serious on the outdoor-set once rehearsal starts and one of the leads in the film, Ben Davies, is brought down to the scene in a vehicle from one of the small campers.
 
“The best thing about Mississippi has been the people, and how welcoming they are,” adds Werksma when I ask what the best thing about being here so far has been while I steal an interview on a muddy road just out of earshot of the roar of generators.
 
And he says he can see the state hosting several films in the future for him and others he’s involved with due to their experiences here.
 
 “This is a perfect state to come and start planting the seed for a very successful film base.”
 
Time will tell if that actually comes to fruition in the magnolia state.
 
I wrap up the interview just in time to get back over to the abandoned building that is playing host to one of the last scenes and see a few of the prop assault rifles being passed around that will be used later.
 
Werksma tells me I won’t be in for any loud gun fights tonight like I had hoped.  All the sounds will be added in later for the gunfights.
 
“We shot the gun scenes like this in Michigan where we filmed the first part of the movie and we decided to just keep it like that throughout filming. Plus we didn’t want people getting alarmed with lots of gun fire.”
 
I explain that such gunfire is probably normal for where we’re currently standing but agree it probably for the best.
 
As the huge lights the size of bathtubs on set start to come to life I walk back to my truck and I notice seeing one’s breath is apparent now.  It’s supposed to get down to 30 degrees tonight where they’re filming.
 
Werksma is busy setting up about five different things before I leave and reaching out to people in the state is about half of it.
 
“We just hope we can just establish a great relationship and keep bringing films here, from this year and well into the future.”
 
For more information on the film click here.