Bocca Chiusa

Bocca Chiusa is the story of a silence. The silence of Bernat Xamena. A music virtuoso who one day, out of the blue, started to develop a phobia of the trumpet, his tool of work.

We are talking about embouchure dystonia, also known as Musician's Dystonia, a neurological disorder that affects 1% of professional musicians.

After seven years away from the stage and a lot of struggle and effort, Xamena tries to find a way to return to music and life through sports and triathlon.

Thanks to triathlon Xamena will find a light at the end of what it seemed to be a never-ending tunnel. "I started practicing sports to sleep out of exhaustion," he says.

The documentary shows Xamena’s recovery thanks to the incentive of two great challenges: return to the professional music circuit and the chance to participate in Mallorca’s Ultraman, one of the world’s most demanding triathlon competitions.

This multisport race requires excellent physical and psychological preparation and very few people are brave enough to face it.

What is Ultraman?

For three days the participants must cover a total distance of 532 km (330 miles). On the first stage they have to swim in open water for a total of 10 km (6.2 miles) followed by a 126-km (78-mile) bike ride. The second stage is a 312-km (183.8-mile) bike ride and the third and last day is a 84'4-km (52.1-mile) double-marathon.

Bernat Xamena finished 5th in the 2017 Powerman World Cup in Switzerland, a competition that this year will take place in Mallorca.

Xamena started practicing sport to lose weight and as a treatment to deal with a condition that kept him away from music, his passion and profession.

The film wants to show how with hard work and sacrifice you can turn things around, even when you have hit rock bottom.

Bernat Xamena has been a member of the Chasko Jazz Project and is the founding member of the Mallorcan jazz group 5debrass Quintet. He is currently a member of the Palma Music Band.

OBJECTIVE AND DIDACTIC POINT OF VIEW

The aim of the documentary is to narrate the story of Bernat Xamena and, at the same time, to create awareness of a neurological condition generally unknown to musicians and the general public. It is, therefore, a local story, but also a universal one.

Embouchure dystonia is considered a taboo to the extent that those who suffer it have to do it in silence.

Only a few recover and those who do it have two options: start from scratch or choose a new profession.

This documentary wants to put embouchure dystonia on the table and, at the same time, throw some light on a psychological pathology considered taboo.

**WHO ARE WE?

DIRECTION, SCREENPLAY AND PRODUCTION**

Joan Martí Mir Joan Martí Mir (Ferreries, Menorca 1975) has a Bachelor of Media and Communications and BA in Spanish Language and Literature. He is currently the weekend newsreader at IB3 TV and director of the Feim Kilometres radio show, also at IB3. After directing the documentary series La força d’un sentiment, his debut as screenwriter, director and producer arrived in 2016 with Acorats, crònica d’un fenomen, selected film for the Gaudi Prize 2016.

The film crew currently consists of Alejandro Morales, Albert and Marc Capó, Alejandro Ripoll, Cris Vargas, Albert Mir and Joan Vidal (camera operators), Ruben Ramírez (Lighting theater) Mercè Valero (assistance in filming), Franc Subias (graphic design), Daniel Rubsanem (camera operator and camera dron), Maite Martí and Marc Vargas (subtitles).

SOUNDTRACK BY JOAN MARTORELL I ADROVER

The soundtrack of Bocca Chiusa will be an exclusive composition by Mallorcan composer, orchestral conductor and pianist Joan Martorell Adrover.

Winner of the Music Contest for Young Performers in the Art Jove Awards in 1996 and nominated for Spain’s 2006 Premios de la Música for the Best New Music Album Capturant un sospir.

He works extensively orchestrating films such as Inferno, Kung Fu Panda 3, The Boss Baby, Angry Birds, Terminator: Genisys, El Bar, Anacleto: agente secreto, El Rey de la Habana (Gaudí Award 2015 for best original soundtrack), Mi gran noche ... among many others. He composed the soundtrack for the film Hunger by director Manu Herrera, as well as music for advertising, television series, documentaries, video games, dance ...

He lives in Barcelona and spends most of his time working for film composers such as Hans Zimmer, Heitor Pereira, Lorne Balfe, Joan Valent, Pascal Gaigne, Harry Gregson-Williams, Rupert Gregson-Williams ... as well as offering concerts, composing and producing.

Martorell has already dedicated the song Començar de zero to Bernat Xamena, included in his album Capturant un sospir

FILM LOCATIONS

The documentary will be shot between Mallorca, Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, but we will also travel to Wales, New York, Tokyo and Bogota, budget permitting.

We are also planning to film various performances of the Banda Municipal de Palma in Mallorca; rehearsals at the Palma Conservatory and concerts at the Balearic Islands Superior Conservatory.

All this will be combined with the sporting events that are part of the protagonist's calendar. That is, for example, Powerman Mallorca, disputed in Can Picafort, the International Portocolom Triathlon, Ironman Wales and the UltraMallorcaMan, Bernat Xamena’s main challenge.

REALITY AND FICTION

While the idea is to film a true story, in the documentary genre there is always room for fiction, which will be filmed in some of the locations mentioned above.

REWARD LEVELS

CREDIT TITLES With this contribution of 15 euros your name will appear on the credits.

You will also participate in the drawing of the book How music can change your life by Wynton Marsalis, the most influential jazz artist of the last 25 years and whom Bernat has had the pleasure of meeting.

FIRST ROW If you contribute 25 euros, your name will appear on the credits and you will receive an access key to watch the documentary online.

AT THE PREMIERE With a contribution of 30 euros your name will appear on the credits, you will have two invitations for the premiere of the film in Mallorca or Barcelona (you choose) and you will receive a gift bag.

OFFICIAL T-SHIRT If you contribute 35 euros you will have the shirt of the film (see photo), your name will appear on the credits and you will get an access code to watch the documentary online.

A TAKE AWAY This means that with a contribution of 40 euros you will receive a DVD of the movie. You will also get an official t-shirt of the film and, in addition, your name will appear on the credits.

YOU ARE IN THE DRAW

With the contribution of 25, 30, 35 or 40 euros you will participate in the drawing of two nights at any of the HotelsViva that the chain has in Mallorca. Two nights with half board that you can enjoy from January to May or from September to November. To practise sport and relax. Does not include the trip to/from Mallorca.

MOVIE PACK With the contribution of 50 euros you get the DVD, a t-shirt and a gift bag. And your name on the credits.

PREMIUM PACK With the contribution of 60 euros you will get a pack that includes: a gift bag, a DVD and a t-shirt. You will enjoy the online preview and two invitations to the premiere in Mallorca or Barcelona. Plus your name on the credits.

YOU COME TO THE CONCERT This means that you will be part of the movie. For 100 euros, you will get two invitations to the concert offered by Bernat Xamena and Joan Martorell and will be part of the movie. In addition, you will also have the PREMIUM PACK, TWO INVITATIONS to the premiere in Palma or Barcelona, an online preview and your name on the credits.

YOU ARE IN THE DOBLE DRAW

With the contribution of 50, 60, 100 euros you will participate in the drawing of two nights at any of the HotelsViva that the chain has in Mallorca. Two nights with half board that you can enjoy from January to May or from September to November. To practise sport and relax. Does not include the trip to/from Mallorca.

And in addition you will participate in the drawing of an annual pass to any of Mallorca’s ILLES Wellness Centers. The FIT-WATER category ticket is valued at 576 euros.

TWO NIGHTS AT HOTELS VIVA Providing 350 euros, you will get to relax at any of the Viva Hotels Mallorca. That’s two nights to choose from January to May or from September to November. In addition, TWO INVITATIONS TO THE CONCERT, TWO INVITATIONS TO THE PREMIERE (Palma or Barcelona), THE PREMIUM PACK, online viewing and your name on the credits.

GET FIT Be a Bernat copycat and get fit to reach your goals. With the contribution of 400 euros to the project you will get an annual pass to any of Mallorca’s ILLES Wellness Centers. The FIT-WATER category ticket is valued at 576 euros. In addition, you will have TWO INVITATIONS TO THE CONCERT, TWO INVITATIONS TO THE PREMIERE (Palma or Barcelona), THE PREMIUM PACK, online viewing and your name on the credits.

ASSOCIATED PRODUCER The person or company that contributes 1000 euros will have TWO NIGHTS AT ANY OF THE VIVA HOTELS in Mallorca, AN ANNUAL PASS TO ANY OF MALLORCAN ILLES Wellness Centers. Also, you will have FOUR INVITATIONS TO THE CONCERT, FOUR INVITATIONS TO THE PREMIERE (Palma or Barcelona), THE PREMIUM PACK, the online viewing and the name or logo of your company on the credits.

THE CONTRIBUTIONS

Your contributions will help us to continue with the documentary. They will be used to cover journeys, filming, rental material, post-production, sound and workers expenses. We have filmed a small part of the story but there is still a lot of work to do to make the movie a reality.

How does Verkami work?

Once your contribution has been made, it will only be effective if we have reached 100% of the financing objective. Therefore, if we do not reach 100%, there will be no transaction, and the patron's contribution commitments, as well as rewards, will be cancelled.

PLANNED SCHEDULE

Once the goal of 12,000 euros has been achieved, we will continue with the project. We will first take care of the production tasks. During the remainder of 2018 we will conduct interviews and the rest of the filming.

On September 9th we will go with Bernat Xamena to the Ironman Wales, this will be the last test before his biggest sporting challenge: The Ultra Mallorca Man.

From the 1st to the 3rd of November, we will follow up Bernat’s progress.

At the same time, we will also follow Bernat Xamena‘s musical progress. Even if everything goes well, he still has to recover a good part of what he lost due to embouchure dystonia.

At the end of this recovery process, on December 29 Bernat Xamena will give a concert.

From here we will start the editing phase, which will be extended until November / December 2019.

Hopefully, the film will be released in early 2020.

As for the rewards you will receive them once the movie is finished. The patrons who have contributed for TWO HOTEL NIGHTS or for a YEAR PASS FOR THE ILLES CENTERS will receive the rewards once the campaign has been successfully closed.

+ Info

If you want to know more about us:
El triatleta trompetista
Bocca Chiusa - Twitter
Joan Martí Mir - Twitter
Joan Martí Mir - Filmografia
Joan Martorell - Filmografia
Bernat Xamena
Acorats a Filmin
Vimeo