"Voces en el Silencio" press conference and interviews

Make a quick drive down the morro on December 28th for I was to be interviewed about the "Voces en el Silencio" film I did a few months ago. Also, a press conference was offered and here are a couple of videos I found online about it. One of them wrote my name incorrectly (missed the letter "S" in my last name). Funny that I had to change into work clothes and go back up to the top of the morro late at night right after the interview. It was foggy again midway up but going that road many times makes it more familiar each time. 

I think there are more interviews coming soon. Will post them as soon as I see them online.

The topic covered needs much promotion and media attention for it is a very deep social dilemma all over the world, specially in third world countries. Hope this gets bigger and bigger. It was quite a cozy moment for all actors involved and specially for my friend Carlos Vertiz and wife Juana, owners of the project. While standing at the back during the premiere of the film in front of the media, I told him "Here's your baby being born before everyone's eyes, Carlos". It is so heartwarming to make a person's dream come true. Even more if I could help him make it a reality. It's like earning a place in heaven above in a way by making a person happy.
























Here's one video link:

http://www.rpp.com.pe/2012-01-03-voces-del-silencio-el-debate-de-la-explotacion-sexual-llevado-al-cine-noticia_437222.html

And another video:

First days of 2012 - Still filming.

Coming down from the morro for a few days of rest and scheduling for the next scenes. January 9, wow. How fast days go by. This past week has been full of a lot of stress (like if there wasn't any....crap!) and many phone arguments with some people I asked to be removed from their positions for attitude reasons. Seems my inquire went ahead as I no longer hear their self-righteous words or complaints anymore. Doing this is stressful enough to even have to bear people like that, so I let them go in the only way that was needed in order for them to get the message straight: loud and straightforward.

Lima is hot these days. And I mean pretty hot. News reports say that it has gone at least as high as 32 C (90 F) aprox. We all could feel the tremendous heat up there as we are all boldly exposed to the sun when the sky is clear. Being the Morro Solar a bit tall (the part we film at is almost 271 mts high (890 ft) and the actual Morro de Arica is around 120 mts (393 ft) making our place somewhat taller than the real scenario but the eye nor the camera can tell those 140 mts in difference. Both places are high anyway, even for a jump (Ugarte), and that's why the weather is quite different from down below in the city. When the sun comes out is quite heavy on us, melting much of any plastic artifact  left exposed and causing sunburn (a huge contrast when I roll my sleeve) and at night, the temp drops a lot and together with high-speed winds and drizzle-fog, the cold sensation increments exponentially.

I quite love filming up there. It's quite away from it all and also close to it all. Driving down to the city to buy food or to pick up the actors has done quite some a damage to my car and today, a mechanic is needed (the front suspension has dropped and the wheel is touching the chassis at every turn, the clutch is making noises, the exhaust pipe is broken making it lose compresion and engine power, the rear door has the handle broken together with my right rear view mirror and there's a lot of soil in the engine). I guess we have to take a few days off to heal our wounds, so to speak.

All in all, this first week has been quite a ride and got myself really good shots and scenes.

Here I put together some small clips and pictures together taken by my directing assistant and other production assistants who has free hands to take some shots (the credit goes to them for those amazing work pictures) to show a bit of how it is all developing. Now....off to the mechanic.

Last day of the year at the morro

Last day of the year spent at the top of the morro. It was mostly artillery blasts and horse jumps. Asked for three horses and someone made the odd selection of sending me in the same truck two females with a "entire" (testicles not removed) male one, affecting many times my filming schedule as the male was very unquiet and running all the time to the females to mount them. It may sound funny to read but realizing that it was done on purpose to bother the guy who I rented the white horse from (because of a personal quarrel by the owner of the other two) bothered not only him but me. Specially when having tight schedules for filming exterior scenes.

Filming at the top of the morro has its advantages and disadvantages. For certain hours there's clear skies with lots of burning sun and then a few hours later it's all covered in fog, cloudy skies and a wind that affects my boom microphone even when having the softie windscreen on. Filming in extreme conditions is quite a hassle and very challenging.

Pushing those heavy cannons up the hill where we film

Pushing those heavy cannons up the hill where we film

Film shot pass-thru

More and his Vavasseur overseeing the foggy ocean down below

Ugarte

Add caption

The best team

Love these people

Extras playing chilean soldiers

De la Cruz Salvo

Applying a bit of soil to the uniforms to make them look worn

Kaboom!

But, it was fine in the end being just an anecdote among the many of this film.

After putting under cover the cannons and rifles away from the elements, we all came down tired but ready to spend new year's eve with our families.

Here I am, sitting down just a few before the midnight of december 31, 2011 and it's inevitable to do a deep thorough meditation of all the things passed during this whole year. I can't say it has been easy. In fact, it is the most difficult year professionally speaking. Very challenging and extremely stressful. Have lost chunks of hair because of falling debris and rocks during filming, bayonet cuts and rifle blows apart from the never ending tan-over-tan all on my arms and neck (I know I must wear sunblock but I'm somewhat irresponsible on those matters), Army issues that have made me feel so alone on this and very emotionally drained; money issues regarding the huge amounts of resources spent on making this thing happen, but also meeting and knwoing beautiful noble people who has shared and is sharing this dream with me. Helping me onboard and also putting their own efforts to push this thing forward.

But the final words are of thankfulness. Thankfulnes to life, to love, to family, to friendship and to God for helping me thru this: love of friends and family who support and make this heavy load a bit lighter and to God for being next to me all along even when I think I'm alone on this. He definitely is giving me such a lesson of life here for it is a constant exercise of patience, will, stamina, anger management, hope and love even to the ones who have affected me all these year much to their joy of not having it their own way or me not bribing them.

In the end, life has its own natural way of balancing everyone's existence and leaves next to you the people who matter. I'm glad I'm having here next to me those ones. The rest has simply gone behind this wonderful year that has given me not only hurdles but lots of lessons and satisfactions.

Happy New Year 2012 everyone!!!! :)

Filming at the Morro Solar

Bolognesi's last moments. Just like the Lepiani painting

The 250 lb Vavasseur cannon I built months back for these scenes

The pole for the national flag at the top

Making the trenches all weekend. Spent my birthday like that.

A small improvised toast for my B-day.

Down below: scenario for the Alto del Alianza battle scenes.

Building the trenches before painting the sacks

Moments before filming.

Dressing up the Vavasseur cannon.

Working into the night. Very cold and windy.

Some of my cast. Good actors-Beautiful people

Unloading the Krupp cannons.

Bolognesi's and More's death.

Alfonso Ugarte's jump to eternity.

Guillermo More's death

Putting on the steadicam support

Explining the extras how the scenes are gonna be

Make up for the Husares de Junin before the Alto del Alianza scenes

Roque Saenz Peña

Jose San Martin's death, Chilean commander of the 4to de Linea.

It has been quite an overwhelming experience filming at the top of the Morro Solar. Heat, strong changes in weather conditions like sun, heavy fog, drizzle, cold, very strong winds, etc.

There was also many hurdles to overcome with the Army but eventually it went fine. Came back down for the Christmas holidays and now going back to filming up there. Pity theres weak cellphone signal and mostly no coverage. Sleeping there is like a picnic without the fun of it. I enjoy the fact that I'm progressing with my film but the hurdles I face take a toll on my ability to enjoy it fully sometimes. It's too much pressure and drain emotionally apart from mentally and physically.

I will post all details and anecdotes when I get back home to Lima from the morro. Another long week of filming ahead with Bolognesi, Ugarte, More, Belaunde, Sanez Peña and all the soldier heroes.

Here some pics of the works up there.

Going to the Morro

Finally, after so many preparations and stuff to make things happen and work like a clock, I'm packing and going all the way up to the Morro. Huge scenes coming, so...on to build trenches and take cannons up there.
A bit more than a year ago I started filming this dream that is coming together and in the last part of it all. Second time also that I will pass my day away from home and working. Last time back in 2010 it was the scheduled day of filming the 4rto de Linea overtaking the peruvian Este fort. That was a huge for the number of extras and even small accidents didn't go amiss (rock hitting my head taking some scalp off of me), a bayonet wounding my chest lightly, a blank bullet shot in my thig and a rifle-butt blow in the stomach. After that, having hundreds of people singing to you was marvelous. Never happened to me before. It made my day despite the accidents.

The most amazing scenes to be shot these days now as a continuation of those shot a year ago.
Will be out of contact for a a while. No signal up there.
Wish me luck!
:)