Category: The Sound We See: Buenos Aires

…the cinematic connections made during the past three weeks will last a lifetime.

We can’t wait to see what EPFC/Club del Super 8 collaborations we cook up next but now it’s time to set sail for Uruguay! Ciao, Chicos! Anchors aweigh…

One last afternoon exploring the city and soaking up the Sunday vibe with la gente in Parque Patricios before the big premiere of The Sound We See: A Buenos Aires City Symphony at Una.Casa. Killer the Cat is the master of ceremonies, welcoming filmmakers, musicians, friends and family to an unforgettable night of dual projection dancing Super 8 images accompanied by gong and trombone! With true Argentinian dramatic flair, a huge storm erupts just as the credits roll and we celebrate the fine work of Melisa Aller, Marto Alvarez, Macarena Cordiviola, Charles Della Casa, Azucena Losana, Mauro Movia, Paulo Pecora, Ignacio Tamarit, Ana Villanueva, Carolina Rizzi and Omar Grandoso with thunder, lightning and some black cat magic.

What do you do when you are strolling along near Retiro Station, enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon without a care in the world, and you suddenly feel a thick wet substance fall on your head from the tree above? The natural inclination is to stop, run your fingers through your hair and think YUK, BIRD POOP! But it’s not bird poop, friends, it’s the BIRD POOP SCAM!

We’ve heard Porteños referred to as “security conscious” and it is true… from the moment we arrived, friends, hosts and even strangers on the street grimly warned about keeping our wits about us in the midst of the pickpockets, muggers, pedestrian-hating drivers, cellphone thieves, shiv-carrying nogoodniks and mustard-squirting maniacs that apparently rove the city in droves. So far so good…until today! Did you know that the “con” in con artist is short for “confidence”? When a passing woman kindly points out the goo is also all over your backpack and clothing, and offers you some tissues and cleaning assistance, the brain thinks How sweet! The brain does not think How big is the bird that defecated this torrent of dark grey waste? Weird that this it smells like vinegar mixed with tuna and motor oil. How did it get on the bottom of my backpack? Why is this lady so dang determined for me to lay my backpack down right here in the middle the sidewalk? Why are there three guys hovering in a car over there? Luckily, this is one of those rare moments when my Hard-Hearted Hannah spidey-sense wins out over Paolo’s Sunshine Kid nature (plus he’s too busy dry-heaving from the faux poo smell), and I drag him off to the sanctuary of the Kirchner Cultural Center where (after cleaning up in the big nice bathrooms), we cool out in arty beach chairs under a glowing purple ceiling and look at some terrific photos by Rinko Kuwauchi, Patti Smith and Seydou Keïta.

Confidence restored, it’s off to former plastics factory turned art lab Espacio Nixso in our favorite barrio Barracas for a fun screening and discussion about community filmmaking with the inspiring professors and students of the UNTREF Maestría en Artes Electrónicas program. From bird poop to Old Crow, anything can happen on a Saturday in BA!

Thank you Canada Council for the Arts and the Foundation for Contemporary Arts for the generous fiscal support in making this presentation possible!

Now that the Sound We See: Buenos Aires is in the capable hands of renowned soundsmiths Omar and Carolina, we’re going up river to explore the wilds of the Paraná Delta past Tigre where the dogs are friendly, the people are mysterious, the cabins range from trashy to fancy, the mosquitos are a-buzzin’ 24/7, and the night is filled with the sound of rain and strange birds… S.L.O.W…..D.O.W.N……….

If there are two things Porteños are passionate about, it’s protests and pizza. Every day, all over the city, you’ll find both in endless variations, large and small. Today we weave our way through a plethora of protestors–groups, singles, duets with a variety of causes to be loud and proud about–on our way to the wildly popular one and only Pizzería Güerrín where they’ve been serving up thick cheezy pies since 1932! Thus fortified, we’re ready to roll for the last two rolls… Meli and Maca bring it home and hang it up to dry. Dinner outdoors in the balmy air and time to telecine… Oooh la la, we got a movie folks!

Day 2 of processing… Mauro stays true to Caffenol; Azucena ups the ante by adding some nasty local “cola” to the brew… FORTE!!!!!

Shooting completed; time to process!

Paulo is the first out of the gate and boldly chooses to try mate… Will he be defeated by darkness? Fingers are crossed and a visit to the local priest is scheduled. Eco-processing Super 8 with a brand new brew is like walking the high wire in a windstorm and that’s why we love it so! Charles, Ana and Marto go the caffenol route… How can you go wrong with an instant coffee brand called “The Virgin”? Indeed, our prayers are answered when the film turns out GREAT! Celebratory conga line ensues!!!!!

Tonight we celebrate! Beautiful new friendships. A wonderful final day of filming architectural gems for the dead and the living with Ana in Chacarita Cemetery and Barrio Parque Los Andes. A perfect fall evening. The long Argentinian tradition of asado that brings us all together over grilled meats, local wine and lively conversation in a gorgeous San Telmo garden as the sky darkens and our spirits rise. Beyond grateful for all this magic…

Thanks for the wake up call, Junior! We’re up and out of the house before the crack of dawn to meet up with Marguerita and her paper boys as they sort and deliver the morning news. Neither rain nor sleet nor potential muggers (she carries pepper spray) keep Marguerita from bringing the news to her customers, seven days a week. After some nice strong coffee and a few crunchy, crispy chocolate-covered, dulce de leche-infused churros from our favorite neighborhood bakery and another little nap, we’re up and off to meet the Super 8 Club sweeties for a trip to Tigre where we’re all presenting Super 8 films as part of a community street fair and Retro Fest programmed in part by the warm and charming Victoria. We are in awe of acrobatic cinematic beauty and power in the work of Maca, Ana, Marto and Meli… Bravo, Chic@s!!!!! At 10 pm, The Sound We See kicks in and our filmmakers kick butt knocking out shoots at 10 pm (Macarena doing the cross-town boogie), 11 pm (Ana at the Obelisk), midnight (Marto in Una.Casa), 1, 2 and 3 am (Azucena at the boisterous ping pong bar, the boisterous pizza place and on the boisterous bus), and finally 4 am (Signore Charles doing a Plaza Dorego B-Setting still life). Hang on Pillow, here I come!

What better way to spend a birthday that running around Buenos Aires, drinking in all the sights and sounds of life on earth? After mourning the replacement of the elegant old destination board with a giant digital monstrosity at Centro Congresso, our souls are soothed with a train trip to sleepy Barracas where art and industry comfortably co-exist (for the moment, anyway) down by the riverside.  In the late afternoon, we meet Mauro for his shoot at Ex ESMA, the former government detention center turned hub for an incredible array of human rights organizations. The ability of the human spirit to transcend and transform the most horrific crimes committed by “the state” is almost unfathomable but you really feel it here and it is hugely humbling. In the evening, it’s on to Recoleta where Macarena films fancy architecture before we convene with some pals for an impromptu outdoor empanada picnic and the late night BIFICI premiere of El rudio son las casas, a film about the Buenos Aires avant-garde noise music scene by Super 8 Club members Luciana Foglio and Luján Montes… Added bonus: sitting next to Argentinian experimental cinema legend and recent EPFC guest Claudio Caldini! End the day with a crowded bus ride to Maca, Gerry and Junior’s for a brief nap before it’s time to go go go again!