So as I have been telling every new person I meet, in my documentary I will be traveling to the town of Villa Arcadia in the municipality of Coronel Suarez Argentina. Villa Arcadia is about 350 Km south of Buenos Aires (about a seven hour buss ride). My current goal is to visit Villa Arcadia for about a week and explore the entire area. The plan was originally for me to visit the town alone but my family down here is worried about me travelling alone so I am going to stay with family who live neer in Coronel Suarez. However my visit comes at a bad time politically because the president of argentina is raising taxes on the farmers in patagonia. These new agracultural taxes have resulted in proests against the goverment by farmers struggeling under the new taxes. One of these farmers is my mother's cousin, Susana (who I will be staying with) who has hit economic hard times. However, my family in Buenos Aires who have been amazingly hospitable and had me feeling at home by the first night I spent here are going to help me out to make shure I get out into the country. I must admit I am enjoying the big city lifestyle but the pictures that I have seen and stories I have heard about the country have me counting the days until I leave (which if everything goes right will be 6 or so).
I have also been reading my film books including "The Filmaker's Handbook" a 800 page two inch thick book about everything from HDMI cables to dutch angle tripods used in Citizen Kane. It is more of an encyclopedia than anything else. On the more creative side of the spectrum I have drafted up a basic layout for my documentary and compiled a checklist of places and people to visit and film. The rush of being soley responsiable for this project is unlike anything I have ever felt and I have trouble going to sleep at night because I am constantly thinking of new ideas for my project.
P.S. As an added bonus I have included pictures of the family crypt and my room in Buenos Aires
6 comments:
Gavin,
Your trip sounds amazing so far. Thanks for the photos. I can't wait to see the documentary.
Carolyn
Can you tell us something about the food that you are eating? Just a selfish request!
I'm interested to hear more of your musings about the theoretical questions raised by your project, too. What "history" have you unearthed, and what are you discovering about history?
Last week that Argentinian priest who claimed that the gas chambers in the holocaust were a myth was all over the news here, did you hear/see anything about that being right there and all?
First, the food is amazing! everything is fresh and even the simplest dishes are delicious. Argentinians cook all different kinds of meat (mostly beef) that is seasoned to perfection. That is, the flavor is actually of the thing your eating not some chemical in the sauce. The exchange rate is also very helpful because a three course lunch at a upscale restaurant for two costs about 80-90 Pesos (that's $25 US). On the theoretical spectrum I have not yet begun any research because the majority of the primary sources are in the historical society of coronel suarez. however next week I should be making some headway. I am also talking a lot with the members of my grandfather's side of the family and getting a better understanding about their family and Argentine culture in general.
And in response to Duncan's question I hadn't heard about this priest but I read up on the story and I don't find it too surprising. From the research I have done on the history of Argentina there are at least four high ranking (Hitler's advisors) who have been caught in Buenos Aires. The Perons were rumored to be Nazi sympathizers and Argentina's neutrality during WWII tens to point in that direction. In fact it is rumored that some of the high ranking officials involved in the military coup that led to the Dirty War were Nazis who escaped form Germany.
This all sounds amazing gavin! I hope my trip can stack up to yours, you're definitley setting the standard:)
What kind of clothes have you found to best suit the climate?? I'm already half packed but it was a battle to pick apart all the very contradicting "how to pack for honduras" websites.
Anything you got there and then regretted NOT packing??
Cool photos!
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