Nothing Typical

August 11, 2016

There are no typical days on this dialogue. One of the most distinct things about this dialogue is that we are always on the move. From the beginning we spent the most amount of time in Quito, about a week, before traveling to Mindo for two days, Otovalo for a week, the Galapagos Islands for a week (half the time on Isabella Island and half the time on Santa Cruz Island), back to Otovalo, and finally back to Quito. There are no similarities in the activities that we do in each city. We have very specific projects that we are working on. There are some small aspects of each day where there is crossover.

Each day starts fairly early. Breakfast is usually at 7 AM, unless we have to start work at 7, then breakfast will be at 6 AM. Then we travel to our meeting spot for the day. In Quito this is Catolica, the university Northeastern University partnered with to allow us to take classes in. In Otovalo this was APAK’s building. In the Galapagos and Mindo we met in meeting rooms in the hotels. This is where we would usually start our work for the day. In Quito we might be listening to a lecturer who would come and talk to us about video art, video anthropology, or Ecuadorian culture and art. Now that we are back in Quito we have free time to work on our final video project. In the Galapagos we went around and had various day trip activities that ranged from hikes, snorkeling, going to the Charles Darwin center, and taking a day trip to Bartolome Island or hanging out on the beach. But throughout the day we had to think about our third video project, and capturing shots of nature. When we were in Otovalo we were working with APAK on our collaborative documentary, Tzawar El Penco. Our responsibilities included interviewing people, filming it, recording sound, photographing the process and editing the documentary together. Our days here in Ecuador are always filled with something new and exciting to do!

Written By

Michael Mendez

Being a Media and Screen Studies and Theatre major, I chose this dialogue because it directly correlated to making videos, and media production. The chance to work with indigenous media makers will be a huge learning experience, and very inspiring. I am very interested in depicting Latino culture in film, being Mexican American, which is another reason I chose traveling to Ecuador and the Galapagos. I have a passionate desire to travel, and see everything the world has to offer me. I think that going abroad is a great way to experience other cultures, but also a great way to learn about yourself. I want to submerge myself in a foreign environment, and see how it influences my art. I am hoping to make beautiful videos that capture the breathtaking scenery and highlight the fiery South American culture I will be submersed in.