The Camino and Its People

4/15-4/18: Pre-Production

On Wednesday, April 15th, ten members of our international film crew converged on Madrid, Spain under the auspices of the American documentary film company Future Educational Films, to start on preproduction for the shooting of The Camino and Its People. The fifth floor of the Hotel Petit Palace was a vortex of activity, where men and women from Spain, Argentina, Chile, Italy and the United States hammered out a common language amidst a jungle of camera and sound equipment, computers, wires, hiking boots, cell phones, back packs and sleeping bags. While in Madrid, we also met our first pilgrim to participate in the documentary, Alfredo Jimenez-Millas - a retired lawyer and devout Catholic who lives in Madrid and has walked the Camino five times already.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On April 18th, we loaded up our two rented vans and drove north to spend three more pre-production days at the Albergue de Peregrinos in Huarte, just outside Pamplona. There, we were joined by Olga Recolons Argente, from Barcelona, who graciously prepared delicious dinners in the Albergue’s communal kitchen, and Marcelo Mendonça Dos Santos (Fixer/Camino Expert). Shirley Thompson from Dallas, TX, USA, who will be editing the entire film upon our return to the United States, also joined us in Huarte, though would continue on as a pilgrim without us once we started shooting.

Our days in Huarte were packed with activity. We needed to make sure all of the integral pieces of production - the hard drives, the memory cards, the cameras, the microphones, the releases, the maps, the first aid kits - were all complete and compatible. Our meetings were led by Director/Producer Lydia B. Smith, whose experience walking the Camino last year had inspired this film’s creation, and by Senior Producer Theresa Tollini-Coleman, who would be directing the Second Camera Unit. The logistics of following at least six different pilgrims, each walking at his or her own pace, necessitated the forming of two independently-operating camera crews.

 

 

 

Each person had chosen to participate in this project for diverse reasons - a profound interest in the Camino itself, the chance to experience a country in such a unique way, or perhaps the opportunity to be a part of a film and a journey unlike any other. Part of Lydia’s unique vision was to record the experience of the crew members from start to finish, so everyone had an initial on-camera interview to discuss their backgrounds, roles, potential concerns and personal expectations. During our preproduction meetings, Lydia also began her truly distinctive approach to directing and filmmaking - she facilitated several guided spiritual processes for those who elected to participate, in order to forge a stronger vision of our collective purpose and intention.

 

 

Though we represented a range of ages and nationalities, the bonding among the crew members happened incredibly quickly. Some people were accustomed to a more structured, predictable filming schedule. Some were barely familiar with the Spanish language and the region. The sparse communal rooms with bunk beds on a bare floor were a definite departure from our usual lifestyles. We took advantage of every excuse to laugh and be light-hearted - from an overflowing washing machine, to getting lost among the thousands of dizzying traffic circles in Spain, to precious moments near midnight when Andres Condon (Sound Recordist) and Guglielmo Andreon (Production Assistant) would break out their guitars and give us another language with which to express ourselves. Perhaps because each person was slightly - or greatly - shifted outside of their comfort zone, an openness to new people and new events began to emerge. And with this sentiment, our crew got its first taste of the spirit of the Camino de Santiago.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by KC Englander. Original copy by Mani Feniger.