Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Panama’s film industry is drawing the attention of the international community. A new species of frog was discovered. And after a long wait, the BioMuseo is finally open. Here’s the latest.
Panama Strives To Become A Hub For Film Production
Panama has never really been associated with the film industry in the past, but that all may change soon. On the heels of the first Panamanian film to be nominated for an Oscar (“Invasion”), a lot of focus has been put on both Panamanian films, and foreign production companies looking to film in Panama.
“In the last year and a half there have been 80 foreign film projects of varying sizes that have been shot in Panama, which has lead to a $30 million investment.” Said Stephen Proaño, director of the cinema department at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MITI).
Some of the largest recent film projects to take place recently were “Hands of Stone”, which is about the life of legendary Panamanian boxer Roberto Duran, “Paradise Lost”, a love story thriller about Pablo Escobar’s niece, and a reality show called “The Hero” which featured Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Source: PTY Life
New Poison Dart Frog Discovered in Panama
With all of the global concern of species sustainability, it’s refreshing to hear when new species are discovered. This September, a new type of Poison Dart Frog was discovered right here in Panama. While the population size is small, as well as its habitat size, it’s exciting for biologists who will now have the chance to study the species, and its effect on the local biome. While they’ve known that this type of frog existed in Panama, they only recently confirmed it as an entirely new species.
Every new species name is based on a representative specimen. The specimen for this species was collected Feb. 21, 2011, in the headwaters of the Rio Caño, in the district of Donoso, Colón Province, Panama, by Samuel Valdés, who was then the MWH Global Inc.environment office director, and his field assistant, Carlos de la Cruz.
Additional specimens were collected between the Rio Coclé del Norte and the Rio Belen by biologists Marcos Ponce and Abel Batista, then a student at the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí. The specimens were deposited in the Museo de Vertebrados at the University of Panama, the Museo Herpetólogico de Chiriquí at the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí and in the Círculo Herpetólogico de Panamá.
Source: SmithsonianScience.org
Frank Gehry-designed BioMuseo (finally) Opens in Panama
It’s been a long wait, but we can finally make it official. The Panamanian BioMuseo is fully opened to the public. The museum, mostly recognized for it’s eccentric, Frank Gehry-designed exterior, is actually one of the first of its kind in the world. It will house hundreds of unique biology, and will serve as a major educational resource for both locals and tourists.
BioMuseo, a 4,000-square-meter exhibition space and botanical park, has been commissioned to highlight Panama’s natural wonders and its role as a geological bridge between two continents. With its vivid appearance, BioMuseo has become a familiar sight to ships using the Canal’s eastern gateway and to people using the nearby Bridge of Americas that connects to an offshore archipelago.
Although its shape is reminiscent of Gehry’s earlier works — which include landmarks such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles — its bold color scheme is a departure.
It’s Gehry’s first in Latin America, despite the fact his wife is Panamanian.
Source: CNN
Panama Ranked #1 in Global Well-Being Poll; But Why?
By now, most of you have probably read that Panama was ranked #1 in a Gallup poll on global well-being. While this is nothing necessarily new to Panama-ranked as the world’s “happiest country” in 2013- it is an interesting measurement of the general attitude of the people. According to the poll, most of the top 10 countries were in Latin America, with Costa Rica ranked 2nd, and the United States and Canada falling to 10th (US) and 12th (Can.) respectively.
Panama is a generally laidback place. It’s got tropical weather, and a tropical vibe to it. While big business in the city may move with the hustle and bustle of a booming metropolis, the general vibe of the people remains relaxed, low stress, and positive. It’s been part of the culture for years, and with or without modern development, it’s still an integral part of Panama that permeates from the locals, to the tourists, to the expats. The phrase “don’t worry, be happy” is an apt description of how to get by here.
The relaxed nature of Panamanian culture can often be hard to adapt to for outsiders. It may come as even a bit of a shock. But as polls like this latest from Gallup show, the less you worry, the better your well-being is. Period. Having a positive outlook, despite setbacks, is critical to maintaining your mental health, and happiness. It also helps to be optimistic towards the future.
Read more about Panama ranked as the #1 in Global Well-bing
