We are Films Made on Earth and we are here at verkami to present a high flying adventure.
FILMS MADE ON EARTH
We are a small, ephemeral, and dynamic group working together to create audiovisual works (both documentary and fictional pieces). We our self-funded and use our own equipment. Together we have been learning and discovering the joys of our craft.
LA MITAD DE TODO
(The Middle of It All) is a documentary in essay form. It is a sociopolitical sketch of contemporary Bolivia as told by fourteen women living in La Paz. Their diverse testimonies, rotted in these women’s varied social positions, provide a dynamic window onto Bolivia’s transformations since Evo Morales’s 2005 presidential election. These interviews speak to us of discrimination, of machismo and patriarchy, of microcircuits of power that stabilize macro ones. They also tell of women’s struggles for rights, for an end to violence, for the possibility of living in world not structured by capitalist logic. And as these women speak to us about feminism, they also speak to us about men.
Where does project this lead us? One of the interviewees, the feminist Julieta Paredes, stated rather clearly: “We want to do away with patriarchy, a structure that encompasses all the oppression, violence, and humiliation suffered by humanity.”
The documentary brings together these interviews with footage from La Paz and El Alto filmed during January and February 2012.
WHERE WE ARE NOW
Two of our group members were in La Paz, Bolivia (one for two months, the other for three weeks). During our respective stays, we compiled almost fifteen hours of interview footage in addition to other shots. From this material, we have put together an initial version of the film, lasting 120 minutes. Our intention is to shorten the film so that it lasts no more than ninety to 100 minutes. However, we plan on editing the interviews in their entirety and placing them online; they are a fantastic resource to think about contemporary Bolivia, and to reflect upon power relations between men and women, and to question capitalist logics. We learned a great deal from each of these women who, despite their differences, are equally in the middle of it all.
Presently, de Llanos has been the sole editor of the project, supporting herself with what remains of the scholarship that funded the filming trip to Bolivia. However, for the project to advance in the direction that we believe it deserves, we require additional support for a short period of time.
WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO
Financial support will be distributed in the following manner:
- Image Post-production: an editor to aid de Llanos in the last phase of editing (two or three weeks): 600 Euros
- Color Post-production (one week): 300 Euros
- Audio Post-production: crucial to standardize audio and fix any errors made by the novice filmmaker (one week): 300 Euros
- Computer rental: needed to house the project’s massive data stores (six weeks): 400 Euros
- Production and Reimbursement Fees: 200 Euros
EXPECTED RELEASE DATE
Should all go according to plan, the documentary should be ready for screening throughout Spain, Bolivia, and other places (both physical and electronic) in September, 2012.
WEB PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The documentary is only a fraction of what de Llanos learned through conversations with these women. We are working to build a web page where visitors can see the interviews in their entirety as well as clips related to the documentary process. Coming soon: lamitaddetodo.org
In the meantime, visitors are welcome to review the blog (in Spanish) that de Llanos maintained while in Bolivia. The blog includes general facts related to the documentary process and the experience of a sharp learning curve at 13,000 feet.
The film will be distributed under the license Creative Commons.
Many thanks and Enjoy la mitad de todo!
I asked some women that have seen some of our footage for their comments. They write:
“In her search, Helena de Llanos has brought to light a group of La Paz’s female citizens as they reflect upon their lives and or struggle towards a more equitable Bolivia.” (Emma Cohen)
“Many foreign countries think of Bolivia as a pioneer in the indigenization of culture and politics. However, what is the role of the woman in this supposed assent of the subaltern? When we pay attention to the marginalized man, what happens to the marginalized woman? With this question in mind, Helena de Llanos configures a mosaic of strong and decisive female voices; through them, we learn not only of the Bolivian woman’s ascent to power, but, most of all, how a very disparate group of women think about the social, political, and cultural circumstances of their country.”
(Violeta Entrerrios)
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