New Movie Films In Ecorse

ECORSE (WWJ) - There's a lot of activity in a quiet neighborhood in Ecorse, where they are filming a movie.

The movie, called "Anything's Possible," stars child piano prodigy Ethan Bortnick. The 10-year-old Bortnick plays a boy faced with the prospect of going into foster care when his mother disappears.

"I am Nathan, he is the main character, he's a very brave boy, but he can get emotional, and I like it," Bortnic said.

WWJ's Sandra McNeill spoke with Ethan and talked about his piano playing . Being rather modest, he said, "I play piano and sing a little bit." 

Bortnick, from Hollywood, Fla., wrote and performed all the songs in this movie.

More scenes will be shot this week in Detroit's Greektown and on Belle Isle. It wraps up next week with a concert of Ethan's songs at the Redford Theatre.

Director Demitrios Navarios says the project's major backer is Ecorse pastor Marvin Miles. "It would have been easy to film this in Hollywood, it would have been easy to go to Florida to film this, but to bring jobs, change, hope, to the people of Ecorse and the people of Detroit, was very important to the pastor," Navarios said.

Thirteen-year-old Alexander Bowman of Grosse Pointe has a role in the movie.

"I play a bully ...(our group bullies Ethan) and he runs away," said Bowman.

Bowman is trying to organize a school trip for his classmates at University Liggett to see the film when it comes out next spring.

The film will release in theaters in Spring 2012.