The Oscar-winning “Nomadland’ movie was partly filmed in the Western town of Quartzsite, but it’s too early to tell if this means more tourists are on the horizon in this area. Whether or not this does happen, Phil Bates, owner of the Main Trading Post, told the Arizona Republic that he wants to be ready to sell “Nomadland” memorabilia to capitalize off any tourists who plan to make a pit stop in the small town.
Bates was shocked that the movie actually won and took off the way it did. Frances McDormand won the best actress in the film for playing a character named Fern who’s a widow and moves to Quartzsite to begin a nomadic lifestyle in her van. Apparently, there wasn’t too much attention from residents when this movie was filmed in late 2018. Most of McDormand’s scenes gave her character more authenticity because they were filmed where the nomadic travelers camp.
A few of Quartzsite’s businesses are shown in the film. One key scene shows McDormand and her co-star David Strathairn dancing inside the Quartzsite Yacht Club, a bar and grill on Main Street with live music. Any tourists wanting to visit Quartzsite Yacht Club have to wait until October when it re-opens. MeMe Selleck, Yacht Club’s owner since 2005, anticipates a lot of “Nomadland” merchandise upon opening it up in the Fall. It’ll be a good time to sell more memberships to the club, which she sells at $49.99 a pop. Selleck believes that the movie and the big hype will be a positive for the town. She’s been getting a lot of messages lately, which certainly have come from the buzz off “Nomadland.”
The movie also showcases local talent, Paul Winer, who plays a boogie-woogie tribute to his dead friends. On a regular day where he’s playing on the piano, a location scout for “Nomadland” saw this and sent a video to director Chloe Zhao. After seeing this, they decided to put him in the film says Paul’s wife, Joanne Winer. Paul Winer’s toast has him dedicating the song to “the friends who had to depart. The friends in our heart.” According to Joannie, Paul died at age 75 in after succumbing to an illness he got around the time of filming.
Paul Winer didn’t get a chance to see himself in the film, but he was confident he made the cut after receiving a check for $1,000. His wife received a $1,000 royalty check after they featured Paul’s song “Next to the Track Blues” in the film.
Joanne is hoping the film boosts her business because she’s lost 80% of it due to the pandemic.