Ole Muchacho Had a Farm...

Rio Muchacho is a delightful organic farm that takes no trash and makes no trash.  

At the end of filming week, we headed there for a three day getaway.  Friday morning,

we crossed Bahia by boat before squeezing into the back of truck-like car that hauled us

quite adventurously from Canoa to the farm. After what seemed like an hour, we swerved 

into a land filled with cattle and stopped at a small children’s school. 

The Escuela Ambientalista, Dario explained, has a curriculum that streamlines 

environmental practices with elementary school subjects.  Instead of learning arithmetic as we 

learned it, they add up the amount of compost generated by 2 cows for a week.  Their picture 

books are filled with the birds, wildlife, cattle, and insects they will most likely encounter on the farm. 

Each child is given a small chick to take care of and grow into a large chicken.  However, Dario explained, 

the children become so fond of the chicken that many refuse to kill it for food.  Turns out that the people on the farm 

only eat fish and chicken and this meat is served only on special occasions.  Jeremiah was absolutely thrilled with 

the news but not so much the meat eaters in our group. 

Lunch turned out to be delicious. Afterward, two German tour guides led us through a good portion of the 

farm and enlightened us on, among other things, the value of pigs’ manure in composting and creating fertilizer. 

These pigs are never to be eaten on the farm…they are destined for a life of eating and pooping until they get too 

old and are sold to the market. The guinea pigs produce another nice compost material and equally are not

destined for the BBQ house…the guinea pigs from Quito must be very jealous.

Hunger quickly overcame many of us and when the dinner bell finally rang, everyone ate

ravenously.  It was a special dinner- they served chicken!  By the time our bellies had been filled, it was getting 

dark and the bats were flying out above us.  Armed with a candle, a manual powered flashlight, and camera flashes,

we navigated our way into the kitchen after Lorra told us this hilarious joke about mummies that cracked everyone up.  

Turning cocoa beans into chocolate and then immediately eating this novel creation was heavenly.  We begged Edgar 

and Marcos to let us repeat it the second night instead of learning how to make coffee. 

Afterward, we felt our way back to our cabins--- a tremendously scary experience—and slept 

(or didn’t sleep) at the early hour of 11. 

Bahía de Caraquez

Filming!

Call time was marked for 6:30 am, but since we’re in South America, start time is a bit tardy. The students began filming around 8:30 am, but once they got rolling it was hard start stopping them. They were determined to call “action” in the beginning of the day, and to end the day with “that’s a wrap” even if ending was very late. (Not to mention that many had to come help in shifts because of school.)

After two long days of “action, corto and otra vez” all of the scenes were shot, and ready to be edited. The editing team came in and stayed glued to the computer screen, hours on end reviewing and cutting the scenes. At the same time, the sound team worked diligently on getting environment sounds, and making sure all the lines could be heard. The music team, DAVID, one of the directors and DON MIGUELito constructed some great tunes to accompany the short. They spent many hours practicing their singing voices, along with Don MIGUELito teaching DAVID how to annunciate words in English that were in rhythm with their boy band beats. Minnie and I were privileged to get to listen to many of their takes, it was much fun and great listening!

La Poderosa Birthdays

Some days are just days, and others are extremely significant.  They can be anniversaries, deadlines, holidays, but most important of all are BIRTHDAYS!  In the mix of our work, we always take pause to sing, laugh, cut the cake and just celebrate with the birthday boy or girl!  The three whose birthdays were celebrated with La Poderosa were Señorita Astin (21st Birthday), Señor Esteban (20th Birthday), and Doña Mariana (Beauty before Age).  ¡Feliz Cumpleaños!  

The beauty keeps on growing.

Our trip to San Vicente and Canoa marked the first time we left the city limits of Bahía de Caraquez.  As we waited for our ferry to arrive we were lucky enough to frame some beautiful shots.  For example the woman waiting for the ferry, the children in the “triciclo,” a couple of turquoise boats, and the simple view from where we were positioned.

As we boarded the ferry, you could feel the excitement amongst our group, because it was our first adventure away from what we know as our “mainland.”  With our gaze fixed upon the city that has become our new home, we watched it slowly drift by, and then we landed on the shores of San Vicente.  In San Vicente we all climbed aboard the bed of a pick-up truck.  Imagine ten people in the bed of a small Toyota Tacoma, sitting on boards that are held together with small metal railings, a new experience and a load of fun, literally. 

We arrived safely in Canoa, and couldn’t resist the fresh, beachside seafood, and entered a small restaurant.  Shrimp, rice, and bananas, the staple foods of the coastal people, filled our plates and bellies.  Once we were satisfied, we drudged our way through the thick cream-colored sand and found a small, yellow canopy. 

On the beach we watched Sara battle the waves with her killer surfer-girl rips, drank some coconut juice, and enjoyed seeing the day transform from a cloudy day into one with a hint of sun.  When we felt that it was getting a bit breezy we made our way back to the city to catch a ride to San Vicente.  (We took a bus this time J)  When we arrived at the dock in San Vicente we could not take our eyes off of the setting sun, it was thrilling.  Silence surrounded us for the rest of our trip back to Bahía, because we all were stuck in our own moment of beauty.

Screenwriting

 

Working towards a script proved one of the most important beginning steps to creating a successful movie. First, the students were assigned homework, to come up with a setting during the weekend.  The next Monday, the students worked in groups to pick the best one and go from their making “cambio uno” (first change), the results of these first effects on the story, “cambio dos” (second change), and a resolution.  

These pictures were taken over a period of a week and a half- hopefully they allow you to catch a glimpse of all the discussions and exchange of storylines that they went through before we came up with the final product.  The students ended up deciding on making a comedy-ish film.  The movie is about a girl named Jessica that finds her boyfriend Marcos cheating with an unidentified girl.  She then asks a witch for help in identifying the girl. 

 

Dancing at work

The best way to take a break when you're tired of working.

Workshop: Action

Lights, camera, action!  Those words were practiced so many times before the students actually started filming their short film.  They had many workshops in which they learned how to create a scene, capture a moment in time, and show-off their many talents.

In the first “action” workshop the students turned their scripts into photo slideshows.  The students were separated into groups and they were only able to use digital cameras, their script, the schoolyard, and their imaginations.  To compensate for few resources, they persuaded some of us to showcase our acting talents.  All was fun but with each photo the students were mastering the dynamics of constructing a short film.

The following “action” workshop was divided into two parts.  In the first half the students were able to grasp the basics and fundamentals of how to operate a digital video camera.  During the second half the students used their new knowledge to recreate their photo story, into a silent, digital, short film.  The results were hilarious, and as the students watched their work, you could feel the room fill with energy.

During the small breaks of the workshops, the students picked up some moves, yoga moves that is.  Jeremiah, our yoga guru, taught a couple of basic poses to the students to get those creative juices flowing.  The students loved the poses so much, that a couple would come over to our house in between our lunch break and the start of the workshop to “get flexible with it!”

By the final workshops the students had hammered out which jobs they preferred and were interested in.  One group decided to focus on the fine details of the script, costumes, camera, editing, with the other group zeroed in on acting and expressing characters and personalities.  In this workshop the students had to shake-off their own personalities and disguise themselves with the prompts that were thrown at them.  The first prompt had one student as a waiter and the other as the patron.  The waiter had to convince the patron to purchase a dish that was on special.  This was a warm-up exercise, but nevertheless the students surprised us and ran with it.  Next, the students had to walk in a circle with a couple of us, but they had to be a certain character.  A couple of us choose animals, but the students evolved into old people, drunks, and pirates.  After a slew of embarrassed grins, laughs and awkward movements, the students were able to really “embrace the character.”  The finals exercises had the students say the same dialog under different restrictions.  For example they had to pretend that one was a lover leaving to another country, while one was the lover staying behind.  The “macho men” had to loose their cool and beg their lovers; this caused an uproar of laughter!  The last exercise turned one half of the students into mirrors and the other half the person looking into the mirror, whoa the things people do when they look at themselves in the mirror.

On the first day of filming before the sweat started running, Joel taught us all a little something about our bodies, minds, and acting.  We all participated in a group-acting course, which was nothing short of body shaking, cooking with a tennis racket, and just embracing our semi-acting ability. 

 

 

 

You're listening to...

The second day we arrived in Bahía, we realized that we needed to increase publicity for this workshop so Ale, Jorge, and many of the students headed over to the radio station, La Voz de Las Caras, in hopes that more students would hear about the La Poderosa project and sign up.

While waiting outside for Ale to finish talking to the director, we spotted across the street a line of small children walk by in their little lime green shirts.  They were so cute!  Their school teachers tried to make them sing a song for us.  How adorable. 

 At the radio station we met Marcello Nevarez, an old man with a lifetime of experience in radio and media studies.  He led us on a small tour of the radio station showing us the computer system, the satellites, the plaques, and stories about this place.  I wish I could have understood everything he explained, but I couldn’t get past the Ecuadorian accent. 

Ale and Jorge did a live interview with an interviewer named Jose Enrique about the workshop the dates and about their past workshops in other countries.  Two students stayed to cover the event while the rest walked back home.  I was at home listening along with the other instructors in the dining room area.  The station plays regaton and bachata music but we weren’t sure of the station for a while.  When we finally heard the interview and Ale and Jorge’s voices, everyone cheered and hooted.

Two weeks later, the students that had joined the radio station had finished writing the script for their short film.  They now needed to find people to act the part.  The students wrote their announcement and headed over to the radio station to announce it.  Ramon, a student in the workshop, actually worked in the radio station and was raised up by Marcelle Nevarez.  When we headed over to the radio station the second time, the same DJ that I saw the first time was blasting the bachata music.  When the music finished, he began speaking rapidly in his “DJ”ish voice while some hip hop beat accompanied him and then he began reading the La Poderosa casting announcement making it sound all cool.  I thought it was hilarious how his voice sounded so suave and cool yet his demeanor never changed.  It was as if the DJ talked like this naturally in life.

            Apparently, people were listening both times…the day after both radio station appearances, interested people showed up at the house in the morning. 

All Around Quito

After being in two places at one time, we traveled to El Panecillo.  From El Panecillo you are able to see the historic and angelic cathedrals of Quito, the monument of La Cima de La Libertad which marks Quito’s independence, but probably the most captivating of all, the La Virgen del Panecillo.  La Virgen del Panecillo or the Virgin of Quito stands 134.5 feet tall.  She stands on top of a globe with a serpent chained to her feet, symbolizing a triumph over evil.  Once we felt that our cameras had captured as many different angles and pictures as possible, we headed to downtown Quito.  

On our arrival we noticed many people standing outside of the Palacio de Gobierno.  We assumed it was a protest, however, we would later learn that the Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa and Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez addressed the crowd in commemoration of Ecuador’s Independence Day, May 24^th.  As we admired La Virgen del Panecillo from La Plaza de San Francisco, I noticed two Ecuadorian kids; one giving his friend a boost over a fence.  It was a moment in which, as an observer, you can’t resist the urge to take a picture.  I was lucky to document this moment with the click of a button, in the form of a smile-provoking and heart-warming photo.  It was comical because a second later, the little girl in the photo shouted to her friends to look at me.  I felt like my disguise was blown so I asked them if they wanted to see their pictures and they swarmed me, and we were all able to capture their warmth.  Their laughs and smiles were contagious and in the midst of the beautiful commotion, I felt my inner kid spring out and join them.  It was a charming moment that will forever stay with me. 

Now that our heartstrings had been pulled, we continued to stroll the streets of Quito.  We saw many enthralling landmarks such as the luminous and decorative La Compañia de Jesus, which was stunning.  The inside of the church was completely symmetrical, so much so that a fake staircase was painted on one side to complete the look.  We stood in this church allured by the church’s divine beauty.  We proceeded and stumbled upon a strike, it was very interesting.  It was not large in numbers, but I do believe the protester’s voices were heard due to loud band music, chanting, and numerous posters.  While we were absorbing the air of protest, Sebastián Cordero, the most famous Ecuadorian film director appeared.  On our way out of downtown Quito, we passed La Basilica, which stood strong, fierce, and grand like the face of a beautiful stranger that is so striking you can’t help but stare and admire its impeccable nature.

 This day will forever be etched in our minds.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the middle of the world

You know how people take pictures of their feet straddling borders of states or countries? Well, what tops that is standing on the equator!  

That’s just what we did when we arrived in Pinchicha Ecuador, in an area of land called (what else?), “La Mitad del Mundo” 

(aka The middle of the world.) Here our feet were positioned in both the North and South hemispheres.  Click,click, click, went the cameras. 

During our stay in Quito, we also ate “Cuy” pronounced (“Kew- E”), which is freshly prepared, on-the-spot fried guinea pig, an expensive 

delicacy in Quito enjoyed by many.  More pictures of delicious specimens and other foods (that you didn’t know would taste delicious) later.  

We tried it during Otavalo, but when we saw the guinea pigs on the grill we recognized them for being guinea pigs.  

That afternoon, we hiked up steep hills that overlooked fertile land.  The soil is part of one of the largest craters in the world, thanks to 

an explosion by the Pululua Volcano.    It is thought that the distinct cloudy fog contributes to the name of “Pululua” which means “Smoke of

Water” in Quicha.  The fog is responsible for feeding the land, which hardly receives any rain. 

This was a place for many of us to chillax, since touring in general can get a little exhausting.  Some of us undergrads hiked up the 

mountains for a spectacular birds-eye-view of the land. Hiking UP the mountains was relatively easy.  If you’re afraid of heights you just 

don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look down.  Descending, as you may notice, was a different story…for some of us.  Some get stuck.

Otavalo

In the city of Otavalo, indigenous people comprise the majority of the population. 

After riding the bus for two hours, we arrived and spent the day taking in the beautiful

scenery of Ecuador, sampling a deeply-rooted culture at the largest Indian market in Ecuador.  

The COLORS WERE CAPTIVATING, among them, the beautiful handmade crafts, spices, 

baked goods, fruits and vegetables (not found in the U.S.) and attire of the locals.  

At one stand, we met two Argentinian hippies that closely resembled the hippies we

see at the open market on the drag at UT.  (Do hippies dress the same universally?)

I bought a pair of their beautiful handmade earrings for the bargain price $3 which

might have cost $15 in the US.Other places we visited included a giant crater which 

had since turned into a lake alongside inactive volcanoes--the immensity of these sites, 

the giant mountains shrouded in fog, and the lakes made me appreciate the earth in an 

entirely different way that would make my 9th grade geography teacher proud.

 

The future of Ecuador smiles and laughs at the silly tourists

In a plaza in Quito, Larissa asked one of the children if she could take a picture.  

They all immediately joined hands, and after posing, were fascinated by the cameras we all had.

La Marsical District

In this day we witnessed the union of traditional and modern Quito at La Mariscal, 

a district that caters to young people. The Mariscal district of Quito is a host to authentic markets 

and exotic restaurants during the day but by night evolves into a music intoxicating spectacle of dance clubs.  

In this area of the city, giant, historical houses have been transformed into chic hang out spots- decorated by 

punk art, graffiti, gaudy rooms of fur, and even menus decorated by the diners. It's like taking your mom's old prom

dress and adding your own sparkly earrings to dress it up.

Welcome to Quito, Ecuador abroad the Teleférico!

The Teleférico is a cable car system that takes you to the backdrop of Quito, the Andes mountain range.  After about eight minutes of inching your way up the mountain, you arrive at a café and restaurant.  At this point you are 4,050 meters that’s 13,287 feet up above Quito.  The view and altitude leaves you breathless...