| Tiramisu On The Beach |
GENRE: Comedy Drama.
STATUS: In distribution. Tiramisu On The Beach is available for rent/purchase on Amazon Prime Video (in the U.S. and the U.K.), and on YBS’ own online movie platform, Serenergy. It is also available on the Roku TV channel, All Hawaii TV. Tiramisu On The Beach was also accepted to and screened in the 2022 London Lift-Off Global Network’s Online Film Festival, the 2023 Berlin Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, the 2023 Manchester Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, the 2023 Austin Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, the 2023 Tokyo Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, and the 2023 Toronto Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival.
LOGLINE: At a chef prepared dinner on a beach in Hawaii, two lawyers, ex-lovers, engage in verbal warfare about the male and female species.
IMDb: Tiramisu On The Beach
Tiramisu On The Beach is written by Eric Nemoto and Jon Brekke, and is about a man and a woman, opposing attorneys in a sexual harassment lawsuit, who meet on a beach to settle the case and engage in banter about the incompatibility of the male and female species. Jon served as director and editor of the movie, and prior to filming, had also directed Tiramisu successfully four times; once as a stage play (The Actors’ Group, 2005), once for a sexual harassment workshop (Oceanic Time Warner, 2008), and twice as a dinner show (Indigo Restaurant, 2006, Arts at Marks, 2012). In the video below James McCarthy (Chef Paul), Lauren Murata (Tara), and Eric (Wren), the cast members from the last time Tiramisu was produced as a dinner show, promoted the upcoming movie in a Kickstarter campaign. This video, written by Eric and filmed and produced by Jon, provides a good tongue-in-cheek overview of what the movie is all about.
Tiramisu was filmed on the beautiful grounds of Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii in February/March of 2015. Financed by Executive Producer William J. Schaedel, the movie was shot in 10 incredible days by the YBS production crew who had to brave the wind and the rain, while trying to assure that the production did not adversely impact vacationing yoga enthusiasts (Turtle Bay was hosting the “Wanderlust” festival, its biggest conference of the year), or affect the birthing of a monk seal that was thought to be ready to give birth near the shoot location. The setting for all of the scenes took place near the Keiki Pool, a cove about a half mile east of the hotel along the coast. The Keiki (“child”) Pool is named for its ever-calm and safe swimming environment for children. This natural pool was formed during 1946 tsunami that pushed up two ocean bedrock formations creating a protected enclosure, making it much calmer than the surrounding waters. Every day, for 10 days, cast and crew would drive a caravan of cars and SUVs from the main hotel parking lot, along the beach, through the golf course, and through the forest; hauling film equipment, personnel, and craft in order to set up our shooting location. A bit challenging to say the least. But the efforts have proven worth it. The shots for Tiramisu, successfully produced as a stage production four times (see more info to follow), look great and we anticipate a great romantic comedy when it is finally completed. For the movie, Eric (Wren) and James McCarthy (Chef Paul) reprise their roles from previous productions, while New Yorker (by way of Florida) Claudine Quadrat, plays Tara.
Photos from the Tiramisu shoot courtesy of Mike Mazzola.
Tiramisu is about a man, Wren, and a woman, Tara – intense, high-powered attorneys representing opposing sides in a sexual harassment case – who meet at a beach park to celebrate an out-of-court settlement. They represent opposing sides of a sexual harassment lawsuit, with Wren representing the old CEO of the company who is accused of sexually harassing his personal assistant represented by Tara. Because they have arrived at a verbal agreement to settle the case with the CEO paying $200,000, Wren has arranged a chef catered dinner on the beach. Of course, Wren and Tara are not unknown to each other. In fact they know each other well, very well. Many years before when Tara was a young para legal she and Wren, a partner, had an affair which ultimately turned ugly when she was fired and then subsequently sued the law firm for the same reasoning, sexual harassment. The irony is enhanced even more by the fact that since that time she has gone on to become an expert in her field (sexual harassment) and no longer is the subordinate to Wren, who was back then the “all powerful partner” who might have taken advantage of the young naive woman that Tara once was. As a wacky Chef Paul arrives to start preparing their fine dining experience, Tara announces that her client is no longer willing to accept a “mere” $200,000, but now wants $5,000,000. This totally unexpected matter then sets the tone for the rest of the evening where both Wren and Tara trade verbal punches about each other as well as then entire male and female species as a whole. In the end, both their professional and personal viewpoints are revealed as they recount and explain their actions when their own affair imploded long ago. A delightful movie about sex, the law, and food, Tiramisu On The Beach will be the perfect movie to show the office secretary… or, personal assistant… or, administrative assistant. Whatever.
The following are a few rough cut scenes from the movie.
Tara arrives and the subtle sparks start to fly.
After dinner the source of their antagonism comes out.
The next morning the case and their past are both resolved.
Post Production
Tiramisu On The Beach could not have been completed without the contribution of Larry Cortez, who performed multiple duties and went well beyond the call of duty. Not only did he serve as the editor of the movie, he inserted B-roll footage, worked on the sound design, personally handled all ADR recordings of the actors, took added location shots and inserted them into the movie, coordinated and conducted the drone shots, created the music design, and was the person who reached out to singer/songwriter Kapono Na’ili’ili, to allow the production to use his wonderful music to serve as the the movie’s soundtrack. The trailer for Tiramisu, edited by Larry, follows.
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