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The Wayshower

Eric Roberts, John-Roger, Jsu Garcia filming the Wayshower
Eric Roberts, John-Roger, Jsu Garcia filming the Wayshower


Spiritual Warriors, the film has bittersweet memories for me. Maybe, all the touring with SW was to help myself erase the fact that J-R fell in 2004. The Wayshower was my process of letting go and trusting the Spirit to know more than what my limited mind knows. After last year’s Living in Grace I asked J-R if we could work on the next film and he gave it a green light. J-R and I finished the script in a year.

Rick Ojeda our warrior Producer and I drove up to Helper, Utah not far from where J-R was born. We met with J-R’s nephew Senator David Hinkins. He gave us a grand tour of J-R’s dynastic family: where they were born and where they died, coal mining camps from the 40’s, and then we came upon a little town called Helper; named after the main locomotive train that helped the rest train climb steep hills. (I’ve done the tour many times before because of previous family reunions).

This time I wanted movie stars to play the bigger roles in the new film, The Wayshower. Especially the role of J-R’s father. I remember asking J-R to help and I heard, “Just ask for what you want”. I did. I asked Eric Roberts and he said yes. I asked Peter Stormare from the film ‘Fargo’, and he too said yes. That set the tone for the graceful beginnings of The Wayshower. Our good friend Laurie Lerner then came on board as Producer, and we also invited on board Zoë Golightly and Kelley Raleigh to become the pillars of our production as Production coordinators, and away we went.

David Hinkins found for us most of the film locations but not until he introduced me to a hero of the film, Willie Ellington the local genius, who helped us find anything we needed to complete our film. We needed many things to look authentic to the 1940’s-1950’s and even the 1960’s. We relied on locals to support us. Rick and I scouted the trip in February. In preparation mode, we found where the Production offices would be and where we the crew would live very economically. We met a wonderful couple called Marilou and David Dornan. They are the local artists that own the Helper Eatery called “Balance Rock” cafe. They owned the Old Helper Hotel which once was a brothel back in the days of liquor and gambling. Helper was the stop for loading the coal and shipping it in and out to the nation. A “Las Vegas” for the local miners and help. Now the town is a young-untapped “Sundance”. Marilou and David have contributed in influencing the town of Helper in becoming the location for Art Festivals.

We experienced locals opening up and participating in the film. I want to say, “Hollywood comes to Helper”, but we are not Hollywood. We are J-R’s crew. We are Spiritual Warriors. We went back to where J-R got all his rich teachings — his father and his mother. All the seminars that I have heard visually came to life for me in the film, while filming and walking around meeting people that knew J-R and knew Delile. Some that have lived a long time also confessed they knew Parley Hinkins, J-R’s father.

Filming commenced and the unraveling began. The first week was all period pieces. We began filming J-R as a young boy. I was reliving, (Hollywood style) J-R’s childhood. I re-visited and filmed in the forests where he and his father may have hunted. We filmed in Sunnydale/Sunnyside, Helper, Spring Canyon, Huntington and Price Utah. We even filmed in Moab, by Goblin Valley State Park. Man this is God’s country. People like Louise Hamilton and Charlie Hamilton became our family along with Iona and Steve Workman who really helped with furniture from the old days. Tony Basso let us use his cars for J-R’s picture car. Even J-R came to visit and boy was that something. Elda and Delile Hinkins were almost at the set everyday. When J-R went home I began to miss him, but whenever I saw Delile or David Hinkins it was like J-R’s energy was flowing through them to me to comfort me and the film.

I want to thank: Utah’s Film Commission; everyone in Price and Helper, Utah; Helper Mayor Dean Armstrong; Price Mayor Joe L. Piccolo. Thank you. Helper’s Police department thanks so much. I thank God we made this film for J-R.

5 thoughts on “The Wayshower”

  1. Katja Bruinink

    Sweet Jsu,

    What a heartfelt sweet report on your film-making process and experiences. Thank you for sharing with us! I so look forward to seeing the movie.

    In Loving & Light,

    Katja
    xoxo

  2. thank you for your sharing, so accessible, like home. I send love as always. What an amazing life we get to live in JR’s time. Thank you for your part. Jsu, you have always reminded me of my brother Jon, remember him? so tender so strong. Can’t wait for the movie. With love, Susan

  3. Dear Jsu,
    Thanks for sharing your wonderful journey with us. It reminded me of how much loving I experience whenever I am around JR. We are blessed to have his presence. And thank you for taking very good care of him so we can all share in his loving. Looking forward to another hit movie!
    Love and blessings, Richard

  4. Dear Jsu, It was wonderful seeing you, Howard, and Senator Hinkins at the film screeing of The Wayshower last evening in Moab. I felt the Traveler’s presence and I feel renewed! Thank you for making your way here.

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