5.27.14 | Shane McCabe
In 2009 more people were shot, beaten or knifed to death in Guatemala City on a daily basis than in the entire Iraqi conflict. This seems a strange statistic on which to base a film script, but Rodrigo Rosenberg’s death in 2009 was not just another statistic when a DVD emerged at his funeral in which he laid the blame for his death squarely at the feet of the President, the President’s wife, and the Attorney General and sparked an international incident that changed the course of his country’s history forever. You see, not only had Rodrigo Rosenberg foretold his own murder he had actually put out a contract on his own life.
This seemingly insane action was the basis for our feature script, Red Tag, a real time psychological thriller about a decorated US Marine who is murdered in a Dublin warehouse and whose death creates an incident which strikes at the very heart of the military industry complex. The script was a 2013 Austin Second Rounder and is now close to being green lit here in Ireland with me on board to direct and my co-writer, Jordan-Lee set to produce…
But let me back up a moment. In 2010, before we had the idea for Red Tag, my script, Probable Cause was announced as an Austin Finalist in two categories and I took a long trip from Rathfarnham Village in Dublin Ireland, to Austin, Texas to be part of what I can only describe as one of the best experiences of my life. I still count people I met in Austin over that six day period as really good friends. Austin proved to be even more than I had anticipated. Being a Finalist certainly opened doors and although I didn’t win, it was such a shot in the arm for me as a writer. Meeting my heroes like Shane Black, Randall Wallace and David Peoples, (Twelve Monkeys is one of my all-time favourite movies), attending the various round tables and parties in a relaxed and chilled atmosphere just inspired me to continue in my craft.