Direction / Cinematography / Editing

Approximately 4min

Story:

We had only been in Samaipata, Bolivia, for 2 days (and only four days in the country) when we met Boris & Grischa in the restaurant at Landhaus, situated just North of the central plaza in the tiny village. Bubs & I had had a few and the night before we had played serious power poker, with Markus, another German (and there are many in Samaipata) who, like us, had taken an instant liking to the place.

Biologists working in Bolivia for quite a while, Boris & Grischa were relentlessly searching for Cacti (in fact a very particular kind) and were going out to do exactly that very early the morning after. Although doubtful at first, I convinced them that this kind of activity was right down my alley, but looking at it now, it IS very different from the stuff I’ve done earlier: longer takes, dissolves & a lot of talk. In many ways it is a film about nothing, or at least very little (the excursion was a fruitless failure), but for some reason I am pleased with it.

It is often hard for ignorant outsiders to understand and get into the world of specialists, a difficulty I hope the film at times comments upon in humorous ways. 

The film of course is done sound-in-camera and apart from this clearly palpable shuddiness, technically, it is also a good example of what can happen when one forgets the headphones. GPS gadgets & mobile phones, eh…