The purpose of this blog will be to trace the making of a new film, Casa do Silencio. In this first posting I’d like to tell the story of how this began, and then ask for your help to make it happen by supporting it. It would be possible to use one of the on-line funding systems, and I may find myself having to do so, but I thought I would prefer trying another way – somewhat as I do my filmmaking “another way” – one far removed from the film industry, or even the more esoteric nichés of “independent” filmmakers.
In November 2019, a young man, Diego Salomon, contacted me on Facebook, to ask some questions about filmmaking. He is Venezuelan, but lives now in Madrid. We had an on/off exchange about filmmaking, the arts, and life. Then last March he asked if I might like to go to Madrid, and then to a family house in the country not far from Santiago de Compostela, where he said perhaps I could find an idea for a film. His interest was to observe and participate in the making of something, so as to learn from that. I took him up on the offer, spending 3 weeks at the country house, and then afterwards some weeks in Madrid. And indeed I did find the embryonic core of a possible film.
I wish to raise from $5,000 to $25,000 – and of course the end film will change according to what it is possible for me to do, which will depend some on the matter of money. There is no script, nor in the usual sense, will there be one until the work is over and we transcribe it for subtitling for festival or other screenings. If I have only the minimal funds, likely I will have to forego actors, or at least paid ones, and perhaps be more literary in some manner, and/or more documentary, shooting with the people I met there. With a larger amount I would hope to get a few local actors and musicians/singers. There is no fixed film in my mind – as usual for me, now for some decades – I’ll have a vague idea, and then based on that, and on realities around me, I find out what the film is by making it. So it will be this time around. I look to shoot this coming May, going to the place somewhat sooner if possible.
Filming will be Galicia, in the northwest corner of Spain, in a rural setting. It will be spoken in Galego, the regional language, and its content, and in some way its form, should reflect the region, its particular culture and history. As a starting point I think to use in some way their traditional music, of which there are three basic modes: songs of unrequited love; those of more down-to-earth practical love; and then satires of the former, and of other things. I have a basic structural idea as well as a vague sense aesthetically, which may mix rather formal/theatrical aspects with natural/documentary ones. It will be a kind of ghost story, with hints of Galicia’s and Spain’s history hovering in the background. All subject to shifting with the wind.
Here is a tentative prelude to the film, made in May 2022, while I was staying there to think about this. This prelude is not quite finished and will have some discreet voices in background, and perhaps a hint of music.
Any money raised will be used to get to Galicia from where ever I am come latter April – at the moment this appears to be Chicago, (where, for anyone there or near, I will be doing a screening of Tourists, finished in 2021, at Chicago Filmmakers, April 7), and to rent a car for a month or so, and other basic things like that; if I can raise enough to do so, then I’d get a handful of regional actors/singers, and stage some things I otherwise could not afford.
Rather than the offering of T-shirts, DVD etc. which seems to be the practice on fund-raising sites, I will make a simple set of a few things which I can provide on-line:
Support offers:
On finishing of the film, a link to downloadable file of the completed film will be sent to all those who have contributed. I will list in the closing credit sequence those who wish to be cited.
1.
$100: A printable high resolution file of one of my paintings. I will send PDF link of book of these to choose which.
2.
$250: Above plus a PDF of a recent book of poetry, either Poems, Perhaps, or Port Angeles: Elegies for the Strait or The Corona Verses. These are poems accompanied by images. If you wish a physical copy I can offer at cost + postage.
3.
$500: Above plus links to four of my past films – you choose which – which can be downloaded. Here is a new, almost completed, website with information on all of my films:
https://thefilmsofjonjostcom.wordpress.com/
4.
$1000: All the above plus a signed original painting and print copy of one book of poetry, also signed.
Payment can be by PayPal or if preferred I can arrange for you to send directly to my bank. It would cost me $300 to upgrade my WordPress to allow buttons to use PP directly, but I’d rather not spend that way. If you wish to contribute, contact me at my email address. Thank you.
clarandjon@msn.com
If you would like to support this work, but would prefer to do so, for tax or other reasons, with an on-line funding mechanism, kindly let me know.
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For later posts see links below.
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CASA DO SILENCIO 