Sardinia, Film Festivals and mignight thoughts

 

Passion is a latin word and is almost the same in any latin language pasione (it), pasión (es), passion (fr), etc. In german is written Leidenschaft wich is a composition of two words that literally means “TO suffer for something”. It can’t define better what passion is and from where does it comes in my opinion any form of art. From suffering. Most of the great artists in the history, and most of the people that made history they suffered something strong at some point of their life, and what they did, what it came out of that suffering, their way to escape it was what it made them big and exceptional.

It was a german director who told me this yesterday at one in the night after a screening session in Festival of Nations in Austria. One of those people that you can consider yourself very lucky to meet, one of those that you share so many things in common, worries, curiosities, anecdotes, experiences, that you could be days just talking about everything, and that apart from that has made probably one of the top 3 short movies I have ever seen, if not the best. I came to this festival following just an instinct that told me there was something waiting for me here, and if it was just to meet him is already enough.

One of the best chances and privileges I’ve had the last years have been to participate in this Film Festivals most of all for all the incredible people I have met, really a treasure worth millions for me. People you would never meet otherwise. I really cant thanks life enough for giving me the chance to live this. Surrounded by this people you feel understood and even normal. Everytime I leave one of this festivals I leave full of inspiration and good energy and this time is going to be the same. It’s being amazing times, first the time and the amazing second home Sardinia and the production of one of my best promotionals there, now this, then Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and getting ready for the big fish: The Himalayas.

About creativity, freedom and microbudget filmmaking

I have been asked several times how I do my films with so little equipment so today I write this article to give some clues.

I have been travelling around the world for the last five years producing all kinds of films and carrying everything I could on 30 kgs of equipment in my back, including not just filming but also climbing and diving gear and soon also a drone. That means that all I couldnt have on equipment I had to substitute with something light and free: creativity and sensibility. And a strong desire for seeing the world and communicating it to others. There is no other posible answer. WHen you learn to tell a story in a minimalist way you have to make sure that what there is on the frame is what really matters. That all the emotion has to be contained there. It is a big exercise of simplicity and honesty. To film a gaze, someone touching someone or a kiss, you dont need an aeroplane and a bunch of lights, you need sensibilty and know how to CONNECT and TRANSMIT that to your audience. That’s it.


WHAT CAMERA DO YOU HAVE?
When I made Agape. Story of a dream I had a Gh2 camera, two lenses and a broken tripod that didnt even allow me to make pans. The only movements there are in the movie they are in a very precise part where I felt I really had to do it and it is handheld, in complete darkness only with a couple of poor ambient lights and for me is probably the best sequence of the film.
I think you can make the best film ever with simply fixed shots and a movement is not necessary as long as the story doesnt ask for it. Have a look at the last multiple Oscar winning film Amour. After watching El Mariachi of RObert Rodriguez for example I realized I was not the only one to do something good with very little.

All the time I could have spent researching on forums looking for the latest camera I spent it living, watching movies, reading, or learning from interviews with the best cinematographers and thinking how to tell a story in a sincere way. I prefer to know just enough about tecnical stuff to leave space in my head for other things that I think contributes more to do a good film.

Now I have a GH3 and thinking about getting the GH4. There is a bunch of people making incredible stuff with this cameras so for sure I am not the only one. Anyway if you can have an Arri or a Red One, even better.


WHAT KIND OF MOVEMENT GEAR DO YOU USE?

“Almost none”.

I didnt learn in a cinema school using cranes, dollies and that stuff, otherwise I could have stayed home thinking that I need a whole aeroplane and a bunch of people to film anything. I learned filming with what I could fit on a backpack and a strong desire for telling stories, and I keep doing it like that even if the backpack gets heavier and heavier. I am quite bored of young people waiting for money to do their short films and thinking more of how to get the money than just going out and do something good with what you have.

I think nowadays many filmmakers pay more attention to show how good they are and what amazing shots they can do with a steady, or a dolly or a drone instead of telling a story with the heart. I guess is a mirror of the world nowadays where it matters the surface and not the esence. Agape Story of a dream proved me that still is posible to do good things just with sensibility and appliying to the most basic human feelings. I have been all this time competing with short films of budgets of thousands of euros and still Agape was succeeding wich proves that still people gets touched by something simple that tells something instead of an aerial shot in 4K of something that says nothing.

For me filmmaking is not about showing what you can do with a thousands of dollars of equipment, is about telling human stories to touch humans hearts and my way to do that is simplicity. And the directors and photographers I have always admired most are those that dont want to be the protagonisht of their work, but they know how to make the story be the real protagonist.

Anyway I have a slider, a steady and a shoulder mount but honestly 90% of my work is made just with a tripod.


WHAT SOUND EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE??

This is my weak point so if there is any sound recordist that wants join me, drop a line. I normally used an external Rode video microphone on the camera that just died thanks to the humidity of the tropical climate so I have to get another one that will be a zoom recorder and a ROde Stereo Mic.

WHAT LIGHTS DO YOU USE??

I have never used ANY LIGHTS in any of my films, just recently I have been playing with some lights and I dont like it. Instead I have been observing, observing and observing how the light behaves in as many different situations, climates, environments and countries as films I have done all over the world. Always, everywhere I have been constantly observing and asking myself “How would I film this?”

-All the time I havent spent playing with the lights, I spent it on scouting locations like a maniac until I find “that spot that at that time have that light that the story is asking for”. From my point of view what I look for when I make a film or when I see it is HONESTY. I like a movie when instead of saying “what a beautiful shot”, you say NOTHING and just feel that sensation in the stomach. That sensation, that touch in the heart is what I have always looked for when making or watching a film.

-All the money (and back problems if I have to carry more weight) I didnt spend on lights I spent it on good lenses. I recently filmed on a completely dark environment with a Nokton 0.95 just with the light of some candles and you will see the result soon. There might be some noise but no one ever told me “there is noise in this shot”, they asked “how did you get that atmosphere”.

I dont say my way to do the things is the best. And actually I say I WANT TO LEARN everything about how to use properly the artificial lightning but in my opinion it requires as much sensibility and delicacy as a painter needs to use the pigments. If you are good enough to know how to touch someones heart by making a bunch of artificial lights look natural, great, otherwise, go simple. Me, I want to learn both.

Anyway we dont go around looking the world with a bunch of lights around us, we see mostly with the light of the sun, and at night with some small lights. I have been living, looking and filming in this conditions most of my life and so far I cant complain. And I am not the only one, I have learned cinematography by reading about the best photography directors and for example one of the best spanish DOP used mostly natural light, reflectors, difussion panels or a single light if really necessary. Even if my favourite ones like Cristopher DOyle are masters on using the artificial light and there is where I want to go.
In the end my conclusion is that I love my way of working, it makes me free and it has given me great results and satisfactions but we always want to learn more and more and I really want to learn all the secrets of lightning and camera movement and all that but always giving priority to the story, and thinking that anything you do needs to empower the story instead of creating an artificial layer to cover something without esence. In the end all that matters is how much work, time, creativity and sensibility you put on your work with only one goal: to tell the story in a SINCERE way, and CONNECT with the audience.

Travelling at home

Is not easy to prepare a yoga travel while photographing two hotels and filming a promotional film at the same time. Sleeping in beach to film the sunrise, lots of preparing, packing, travelling, thinking, calling, anything is enough to capture the beautiness of this paradise that happens to be my home and share it with whoever wants to discover it.

Out of focus free release

This the free release of latest short fiction documentary film produced in Norway.

Out of focus link. http://www.nordfjordfilms.com/#!work/galleryPage

The film was made in Maloy Kolektivet. For me it was a great experience to film with this people during a whole month and to make the film togheter with them. I discovered many talented kids that still didnt find their place in the society willing to search for a better life and fighting for that. To live with them and know their stories was a privilege and some of them participated actively on the film acting and producing the soundtrack. THe movie is also a tribute to this beautiful region and it’s beautiful nature that trapped me a couple of years ago.

I hope you enjoy it and if you do please share it to spread the voice.

A paradise at home

It has taken me more than five years travelling around the world in search of remote places to discover that actually the most amazing place on earth is my home town. It feels overwhelming to feel that I am travelling and discovering a misterious, raw, untouched region travelling through the places I have seen since I was a child. I was always more worried to discover what there was on the other side but now the main fascination is to discover this unique place in the world. Imagine a place with desert, mountains, incredible beaches, amazing food, the best weather in Europe, great people, a growing cultural movement and a huge sleepy potential. More than ninety per cent of the people I have met around the world dont know where the hell ALmeria is and that’s actually what it has kept this place as real as it is. But if you have seen The good the bad and the ugly, Conan, Lawrence of Arabia, for a bunch of dollars or INdiana Jones among many others then you know my place cause they were all filmed here.

It’s being an incredible journey through this few weeks I will be here, I think the pictures can tell better than words.

Me ha llevado más de cinco años viajando por el mundo en busca de lugares remotos para descubrir que en realidad el lugar más increíble planeta es mi tierra.Es increible sentir que estoy viajando y descubriendo una región misteriosa , cruda y extraña viajando a través de los lugares que he visto desde que era un niño. Yo siempre estaba más preocupado de descubrir lo que había al otro lado , pero ahora la fascinación principal es descubrir este lugar único en el mundo . Imagina un lugar con desiertos , montañas, playas increíbles, la comida deliciosa , el mejor clima de Europa , buena gente , un movimiento cultural creciente y un enorme potencial. Más del noventa por ciento de las personas que he conocido en todo el mundo no sé dónde demonios Almería es y eso es en realidad lo que ha mantenido a este lugar tal y como es.

Si ha visto “El bueno, el malo y el feo” , “Conan” , “Lawrence de Arabia” , “por un puñado de dólares” o “Indiana Jones” , entre muchos otros, entonces ya conoces Almeria aunque no la hayas pisado.

Cada dia es increible, de repente estoy esquiando en la montaña mas alta de España, bañandome en la playa, escalando, buceando, en un concierto con artistas increibles, en mitad del desierto con personajes de cine, comiendo platos que te llevas las manos a la cabeza, o te tomas un te moro junto a una fortaleza que lleva vigilando la ciudad durante siglos.

Cada vez que vuelvo supone un viaje mas intenso que el anterior, cada vez siento que tengo mas cosas buenas en la mochila que compartir en mi tierra, cada vez es mas dificil irse y probablemente ahora el mayor reto no está en descubrir la otra parte del mundo, está en descubrir mi propia casa.

Un lugar mejor

Escribí esto el dia que me enteré que no voy a tener derecho a la seguridad social cuando regrese a España. Y lo comparto hoy junto con dos links. En el primer festival en el que participé como jurado hubo un corto que me impresionó por encima de todos los demas, Un lugar mejor, hoy se ha publicado que ha ganado el premio al mejor cortometraje en el festival EL Corto del Año y aprovecho la ocasion para compartirlo antes de que se lo rifen las televisiones. Creo que sobran las palabras.

Aqui va el texto que escribí en su dia.

Ojala pudiera contenerme, medir las palabras, razonar, enfriarme y tratar de deciros algo que sirva de algo, pero como ni me puedo contener, estoy caliente y lo que tengo que deciros no va a servir para nada quiero simplemente cagarme en vuestra puta madre, hijos de la gran puta. A mi solo me habeis quitado la tarjeta sanitaria, que creo que ni la he usado en la vida porque la sanidad publica es una broma. He pisado poco el pais, yo me fui hace años no por necesidad sino porque quería descubrir el mundo. No os he pagado ni un solo centimo en impuestos en mi vida, a mi aun no me habeis robado, pero cada vez que estoy alli lo veo en la calle, en las noticias y en la frustración de la gente y hoy, tras ver lo de la tarjeta, tuve un sueño y me goteaba el colmillo de placer. Vi una muchedumbre desesperada, hambrienta, sin trabajo ni esperanza saliendo a la calle con la yugular inchada de rabia e impotencia y un machete en la mano, los vi entrando en vuestros despachos de sopetón y vosotros con cara de imbeciles, comiendoos la tostada de paté de fuá, o pensando cual va a ser el siguiente trapicheo, de que modo nos vais a robar y a joder. Y esa cara estupida se tornó en miedo, durante ese instante quizá pensaste en todo aquello que os habeis cargado, quizá pensaste que podriais haberlo hecho de otro modo, pero ya es tarde. Porque en mi sueño Manolo, Paco, Juan, Mariloli y Juanita os van a cortar los huevos de cuajo a todos los que os estais cargando nuestro pais, sin dar apenas los buenos dias. Nunca me importó mucho lo que hicieseis en mi pais, es como que no me tocaba, yo estaba lejos, pero jamás perdí mis raices, siempre me sentí español, almeriense y mediterraneo. Y cada vez mas, cuanto mas tiempo paso fuera mas identificado me siento con mi pais, mi gente y mi cultura. Y quiero volver, me gustaría hacer algo en España. Aunque sea contar como os cargais mi pais, aunque sea estar con aquellos a los que puteais y dejais en la calle. Pero ahora, aunque quiera, me pregunto como y para qué. En el mejor de los casos puedo acabar trabajando de camarero en un pais donde los politicos se van de putas con mis impuestos. ¿Tanto quiero volver? ¿Merece la pena tragar por vivir donde creciste y estar con tu familia y amigos a cambio de que una manada de delincuentes se enriquezcan con tu trabajo? De momento creo que la respuesta es no. Os estais riendo de un pueblo que a pesar de ser ignorante y estupido por vuestra culpa , aun tiene casta y un par de huevos. Quizá todavia no hemos llegado al limite, quizá aun no estamos lo suficientemente cabreados o desesperados, pero dadle un poquito y de tiempo y vereis. Lo he visto varias veces en varios lugares, hace falta llegar al fondo, llegar a ese punto donde no tienes nada que perder, donde por perder has perdido hasta el miedo y ya solo te queda caminar o reventar. Y creo que en España hasta que no reventemos todos y mi sueño se cumpla y os colguemos a todos del pirulí no vamos a caminar. Pero tarde o temprano sucederá, y con o sin tarjeta sanitaria, espero estar alli para verlo.

Un lugar mejor

No job land. https://vimeo.com/81622508

 

 

The artists of the low tide

Every day since I arrived here I wake up in the sunrise and they are there. They dont need self-help books, they dont complain about the crisis, they dont wonder about the secret of life, maybe the have the intuition that is hidden in those shells, they dont want to find answers, they live in the mistery, they accept it and they keep on picking shells while I write about them.

Thebig fish

Is funny that the time when I’ve seen the most beautiful creature of my life is also when I have lost a bit more of the hope that the world can be better, the time that I’ve felt more ashamed of being a human being. At six in the morning there was like thirty people already waiting to enter the water, plus at least thirty more ex fishermans just sitting waiting to fish tourists. Here is the clearest example I’ve seen of what it means the degradation of the local cultures because of the mass tourism. Yesterday night when I arrived here I just talked with drunk guys, the same that this morning where paddling the boats towards the whale shark. Is a big contradiction, I don’t know if before they used to fish them or not. In Indonesia, the small village of La Malera, they do, since hundreds of years, but they just fished what they needed and they lived exclusively of those five or six whales they fished every year, they used the meat, the skin, the fat everything. This local communities, even if hunters have lived in harmony with the environment for years, as long as the white man didnt put his dirty hands on it, it was ok.

Here they discovered the bussiness just a couple of years ago. THere was a community of whale sharks that started to get closer to the shore, the local fishermens saw them and started to feed them, until one had the great idea. Lets bring the white people to pay to see the big fish. Nowadays around three hundred people come to this little village everyday to see the whale shark. I dont know how much did they use to earn before, but now the coperative of around 150 fishermens gets the sixty per cent of the total benefits, wich makes around four euro per day, so they don’t even get rich and for what it seems all the extra income goes directly to alcohol.

Early in the morning the ex fishermens goes out with the canoes to look for the whale sharks, when they find them, they start feeding them and they bring them to the viewing area, where around five to seven boats full of people take turns every half hour to see the animal. I tried to wait until the moment where the boats of the first turn came back, but it didnt matter, more and more tourists where coming. I was lucky because our boat was the first one to join the third whale shark to join the party so for some time we could see her alone, but after a while a bunch of boats were paddling towards us. Then I jumped into the water and it was like a dream to swim with that animal, but then when I came to the surface I was about to crash my head with one of the boats, then I shoked with people here and there. At least they could have been in silence, respect the magnificient of this animal, but they were laughing and screaming, it was like the apocalipse, the triumph of our human kind over the nature, it was really a degrading show. I wish the whale shark would have started eating them one by one, but there it was the contradiction, I was part of it, I was making it happen with my money, and it was sad. Probably it would have been better to go somewhere where you can see them in the wild, it would have been more dificult but for sure worth it.

Right now I really want to see them again, I just want to go back to the water and maybe spread this message and help to build some concern about this animals. I’ve always tried to keep the hope on the human being and at the same time I have hated us for what we are, but without being a convinced environmentalist. Here in the Philippines, after seeing this and after living on my own skin what climate change means through the consequences of the typhoon and this twenty days of rain and floods I feel that is worth it to fight. Climate change is not really the appropiate term to talk about the planet destruction, is not something that experts and politicians discuss in summits and closed door meetings, is a fact and we see it in our daily lifes and is a matter of time until more natural disasters come and the planet says here I am and we all get scared and then realize that maybe we have a problem.

THe Philippines is maybe one of the clearest examples in the world of how we are destroying the planet and is not something that will come, is already happening. Thousands of deads and displaced people that lost everything just by a whisper of the nature that gave us back what we deserved. It is really a matter of survival, and maybe not just for us, but for those who come before to have the chance to enjoy this life and live on a decent place. We wont restore the planet completely, probably is too late, but at least is worth trying and not to surrender. It is in our hands to fight for this and to be an example for the next generation. What it comes to me, I am on the fight.

Palawan, peleas de gallos y la prisión sin barreras

Es imposible condensar todo lo sucedido desde la noche en que decidimos volar a Manila, tras ver el reportaje de Filipinas en National Geographic hasta hoy. Mas que lo sucedido, lo vivido, el torbellino de emociones que hacía tiempo no sentía. De nuevo viajar es lo que siempre fue. De nuevo la aventura, el descubrimiento, el seguir sorprendiendote con un mundo que con los años te parece poco, mientras te preguntas que será lo proximo que te hará vibrar y sentirte vivo. De algun modo, el ultimo año viajar se convirtió casi en un deber, en una forma de vida sin retorno. Para vivir, para trabajar tenia que viajar, ya no era lo mismo que hace ocho años, cuando cogí la bici para hacer el camino de Santiago, o cuando fui a Cuba, esa curiosidad infantil cuando todo era nuevo y fascinante. Con cada viaje,con cada avión que cogía, en cada lugar que visitaba disminuía ese chute de vida, esa ansiedad por conocer, por vivir, todo aquello se estaba convirtiendo en rutina, hasta en tedio. Llegue a Tailandia con la sensacion de que venía a trabajar y asi fue, no sabía si tomarmelo como algo bueno o malo, pero esa era la realidad. El trabajo para el Greco fue genial, aunque se que es un trabajo, amo tanto jugar con las camaritas que para mi es como si te pagasen por estar de vacaciones. Todo muy comodo, muy facil, muy mediocre también. Un paraiso común, como muchos de los que ya he conocido, gente común, conversaciones que se repiten o se parecen, Tailandia,backpackers, de donde vienes, a donde vas y todo ese bla bla bla. Aun asi todo era casi perfecto, o lo parecía, si no fuese porque aun me preguntaba donde estaba el chaval que empezó a viajar por amor a la vida, porque era el modo perfecto de exprimir la vida hasta la ultima gota. Me preguntaba si ese iba a ser yo a partir de ahora, un tipo que va de resort en resort haciendo fotitos de comida y chicas bebiendo mojitos. El siguiente paso sería ponerme a hacer bodas y bautizos. Vida comoda, vida común, y ahora, una semana mas tarde me doy cuenta que vida de mierda, vida mediocre, vida sin vida. Está claro, hay que hacer de todo, hay que ganar pasta, pero yo no empecé a jugar con las camaras por dinero, lo hice por amor y porque me permitía vivir mas y mas intensamente, acercarme a descifrar el indescifrable misterio de este cotarro que te viene encima al nacer. Y todo eso, si no recuerdo mal, desde Agape, desde hace dos años quedó atrás. Pero todo eso, ese chaval regresó por fin la otra noche, en el bar Katabom.

Tuve la brillante idea de usar Couchsurfing por primera vez en mucho tiempo. Escribí a las primeras personas que aparecian en la lista en Puerto Princesa, no mire fotos ni perfil. Couchsurfing para mi es la quintaesencia de los prodigios de las nuevas tecnologias, nada cambió tanto mi forma de viajar y por tanto de vivir como esa pagina web. Una de las pocas personas en responder fue Nieves, no podia hospedarnos pero quedabamos a las 21.30 para conocernos en Katabom. Allí conocí a la persona que iba a cambiar el rumbo del viaje y entendí porque el eslogan turistico de Filipinas es “It’s more fun in the Philippines”. Nieves es uno de esos super seres humanos que no se tiene la suerte de conocer todos los dias. Bastó media hora de conversación para cambiar, una vez mas todos los planes y embarcarnos en una aventura que jamás podriamos haber imaginado aquella noche en Bangkok. La musica era tan alta que poco podiamos hablar, pero de todos modos ya estaba todo dicho, y la musica para nuestra sorpresa era buena, muy buena. Tato, el novio de Nieves era el cantante de la banda y en su movimiento pelvico, chulesco y latino, en el cachondeo general pude comprender que los filipinos iban a ser la creme de la creme del sudeste asiatico. En aquel bar me sentí una vez mas como en casa, aun en la otra punta del mundo. Pude darme cuenta, que no solo en sus nombres (hay hasta un bar que se llama Morato) y en su idioma perdura la influencia española. En mi opinion Tato no tiene nada que envidiarle a David Bisbal y encima canta Nothing else matters y muchas otras mejor que Dios. Observando a aquella gente, supe porque nos fuimos de Tailandia. Es insostenible viajar en un lugar, por bonito que sea, cuando la gente local no te aporta absolutamente nada. Me di cuenta de lo poco que me gustan los tailandeses aunque no sea su culpa. Tampoco voy a entrar en detalle. Llevan mas de veinte años satisfaciendo las necesidades de estupidos turistas a la busqueda de un paraiso tropical en que pasar sus vacaciones. Sin embargo, no todo el mundo el mundo llega a Filipinas y los que van mas allá de el vuelo directo a Bangkok no son los tipicos mochileros o los barrigones repugnantes en busca de alcohol barato y fiesta en la playa. A cambio de tu interés por conocer su pais los filipinos ofrecen una educacion y una cortesía elegante y sincera, no a cambio de unas monedas. Están vivos, se lo pasan bien, les gusta comer, beber, reirse, bailar apostar y jugar al baloncesto, tienen ganas de comunicar constantemente y al mismo tiempo pasan de ti, no eres un mono blanco de feria ni una cartera con patas, eres simplemente una persona y ellos te tratan simplemente como tal.

La banda seguía a lo suyo, tocando absolutamente todo lo que la gente le pedia escrito en servilletas, el repertorio parecía infinito y además lo hacian muy bien, y asi pasamos horas, cerveza tras cerveza, cancion tras cancion, hablando con unos y con otros en perfecto ingles y bailando como crios y sintiendonos uno mas de aquella mini familia aun siendo los unicos extranjeros del local. Y asi fue como en el Katabom, al son de una banda de rock filipina en una ciudad llamada Puerto Princesa nació la nueva aventura que por fin me lleva a encontrarme con un Carlos que hacía tiempo que no veía.

 

La idea inicial era coger las motos, colocar los treinta kilos de equipaje de algun modo e ir a Sabang, desde donde parte el barco para ver una de las siete maravillas naturales del mundo, el rio subterraneo de Sant Paul. Nos levantamos temprano e iniciamos la odisea logistica que acabó horas mas tarde en el mismo momento en que Nieves me habló por primera vez de la prisión Iwahig. Estabamos comiendo cerdo en salsa en el bar de su amigo y me contó la historia de la famosa prisión sin barreras, de la familia de su novio que vivia alli desde hace veinte años, junto con otros tres mil presos, porque su suegro fue condenado tras matar a tres personas y muchas otras historias que no contaré porque inshalah va a ser el proximo documental/reportaje (aun por decidir) en Enero. En ese momento yo la miraba boquiabierto con cara de estupido y con la mitad del cerebro escuchandola y la otra mitad ya pensando en el titulo del documental, y supe perfectamente que el rio y todo lo demas me importaba un carajo comparado con lo que me estaba contando. Tenia mi proxima historia y en Enero, si los tifones lo permiten empezará a coger forma.

Era imposible que me fuese sin ver aquel lugar. Con las maletas listas y las motos alquiladas decidimos mandarlo todo al carajo y visitar la prisión. En ese momento Tato, el cantante llamó a Nieves y le dijo que si queriamos ir a ver la pelea de gallos. Después de cantante es el segundo negocio de Tato. En Filipinas las peleas de gallos son legales, es un submundo que decidimos visitar antes de la prisión. No voy a hacer un reportaje sobre las peleas de gallos, me lo pasé de la hostia haciendo fotos a aquel berengenal y tan solo diré que estuve como media hora observando y fotografiando a los tipos tatuados con pinta de narcos mexicanos que habia jugando al poker junto al ring, silenciosos y con pinta de mafiosos, mientras la muchedumbre gritaba y apostaba. SObre las peleas, nada que no se sepa, sangre, maltrato animal, apuestas, la brutalidad humana y el sufrimiento de los animalitos, todo eso que seguro otros habrán ya contado de que va mucho mejor que yo.

Llego el momento de la prisión. Welcome to the Iwahig Prison and penal farm, ponia en letrero en la entrada, los guardias de saludan y entras en un submundo rodeado de arrozales que esconde miles de historias esperando ser contadas. Una carcel sin barreras, una carcel-ciudad-granja en la que toda clase de criminales viven con sus familias algunos durante toda una vida, como el padre de Tato, que fumaba tranquilo en la puerta de la casa, mientras Mama Celi, su mujer, se perfilababa como una de las protagonistas indiscutibles de la proxima historia.

Era policia en la prisión, ganadora de carreras de atletismo y concursos de belleza a sus setenta años y con sus quizás cuarenta kilos de peso, madre de seis hijos y submadre de tres nietos de parejas rotas que crió durante los veinte años de internamiento de su marido, la semana pasada se peleó con tres perros que le dejaron un notable mordisco infectado en el brazo y además es masajista, curandera y en definitiva una super heroe. Lo que sentía al escucharla me recordo de nuevo quien era yo, me recordó lo que sentía cada vez que descubres una nueva historia, porque viajaba, porque las camaritas eran la puerta de entrada a otra dimensión y porque los billetes de ida siempre fueron la unica inversion con beneficio directo asegurado.

Freelancing in Asia

I always thought that I paid to do what you like , you first have to do what you like until someone pays for it . That’s what I’ve been doing for years and I’m still wanting to know more people that do the same . I backpack again to set sail to distant lands. It is the only investment that has always worked for me. It was never easy, but worth it . This time I returned to Thailand eager to work . I have not done any video for long time and wanted to take it with a vengeance. After the first night in Bangkok and spend two hours in a taxi by protests we headed to Koh Chang , an island east of Bangkok not yet known . I had no choice so why not . The island was not what I expected , the arrival of night left only see either side of the road clubs , bars restaurants and luxury hotels posters . We hope that lonely beach where we were heading out calmer , but no. Upon arrival met at the hotel where we stopped first owner.

We were tired after seven hours of travel, but even so I suggested as I usually always do, if I needed to pay some photos in spices. The site was fine, a large room with pool and stuff, but the guy was truly a disgusting and cheap Russian antipatico . I was regretting all day after having done the pictures I did, although it was only two panoramic photos of your best room . My way of working is to basically get somewhere , find a hotel who make a contribution to have covered accommodation and food for several days and then move to propose my Services The as paying more to other resorts category. The next day I spoke with the owner of the hotel across the street, and also wanted pictures of food and drinks in exchange for three nights accommodation with full board for two. The type accepted and everyone is happy . The same morning I went to go raiding resorts to see who wanted to do him a video . The second asked where it stopped. El Greco Lounge in Bang Bao pier . Two days after arriving on the island , I had not spent a penny , Ebba either and had already covered almost everything that had cost me the flight to Thailand windfall. El Greco was a Greek hotel and family restaurant you can see in the video that I will post soon. Besides the food was amazing and the taste with which everything was decorated better was the atmosphere . The father, could well be a friend of Zorba the Greek and Kosas , the owner was Rhodes , an island famous for fame seductive men . Kostas already retired , is now with his wife and Wi Odysseus , his son. Gogo Kostas worked for years in the clubs of his father , owner of the two largest clubs Rhodes with capacity for 2000 people each. After they closed and got into the business of jewelry and that is what brought him to Bangkok. Since then, after a night of new year catastrophic Wi met and has since started his adventure so far. Ebba and I spent two days rather rolled , especially took care that everything was ready for the 5 . When you have no other artificial light to look at maximum locations and the exact time at which the light will how and where you want to get the image you want. Ebba was as always a perfect assistant and model and also the sister of Kostas . Your hard work consisted smile , drinking wine, eating stuffed peppers and drinking mojitos. After three days , gave a report of the finished video product more photos and went back to Bangkok to meet again one day before Ebba went . I left over night in a pub to remember what it was that Thailand backpacker scene. Something that has become a fashion almost like going to luxury resorts all inclusive. I catered a few conversations type : where you’ve been , where you are and where you’re going to have bla bla bla my fill of it completely .

 

This is Thailand , stereotypes, all too easy , too … without grace , could continue working with resorts and other but a week was enough for now , if I burn worse . So after a day of madness, at two in the morning, after another grueling journey with demonstrations and protests including in Bangkok, we had just asking us where the fuck we could find somewhere we have not been, where we can work , where there are many tourists and where it does not rain. We looked and looked and did not find it in Thailand . We could go to any of the paradisiacal islands where we’ve been and find work tropical life and tourists and all. But that is not the purpose of this trip. Maybe even clear what I have , but that , no. I went to the store to buy a chocolate shake and I noticed they had the National Geographic magazine , open it , look at the first page and I was there . Philippines , or even the full article that I read but it was the perfect signal . Back to the hotel and started looking for information and deals on facebook I am just a kid of Almería a while ago I met on the bus from Madrid to Almeria and just lives and works in Manila in a while. I write and tell me that I can stay at home a few days . Chris Downs also a director I met at the last festival of short films and which gave me my first class interpretation is in Manila. There was no doubt suddenly within minutes the compass of intuition and adventure aimed at the Philippines , there was no escape. Known, surfing, climbing , diving, the only Spanish colony in Asia … too interesting to say ingredients not , so fuck , Pura Vida and pa Philippines