En
FrTwo Pictures a Day in Peru - 4
Fourth Week: August 20-26, 2024
Gilles Porte, AFC, is currently filming Lady Nazca in Peru, a film directed by Damien Dorsaz. As in 2014 on 3000 Night, by Mai Nasri, and 2015 on Dans les forêts de Sibérie, by Safy Nebbou, Gilles once again offers us two images per day, taken by him (unless otherwise stated) along with his commentary. A sort of diary of things seen or felt, moments captured on the camera or smartphone.
Here is the journal of the fourth week.
Here is the journal of the fourth week.
August 20, 2024 | Photo by Gilles Porte (iPhone)
Day off... 3:30 a.m.... Sophie (2nd assistant camera) is dancing at Bruce, the only café restaurant in the village of Palpa, at the edge of the desert. This kind of evening allows tongues to loosen, the hierarchy to be shaken up, bodies to let off steam and alcohol to flow... That evening I learnt learn to make my first “Pisco Sour”: 100ml of Peruvian Pisco, 100ml of lime juice, 100ml of cane syrup, an egg white beaten until stiff, 16 drops of Angostura bitters, 4 crushed ice cubes, and a good shaker to mix it all up!
August 20, 2024 | Photo by Gilles Porte (iPhone)
Paulo, first assistant camera but also a soccer player for a Lima team, on a street in Palpa...
August 21, 2024 | Photo by Gilles Porte (iPhone)
In order to preserve our Nazca lines and minimize the footprints we leave in the desert, we walk in the footsteps of those who preceded us...
August 21, 2024 | Photo by Gilles Porte (iPhone
Sometimes it takes me several minutes to figure out who is behind a given mask... Here are Molly (costume designer) and Lory (makeup artist)
August 22, 2024 - 10.23 AM | Photo by Gilles Porte (iPhone)
Sergio (assistant director intern), Andrea (costume designer), Devrim (actress) and Damien (director)
August 22, 2024 | Photo by Gilles Porte (iPhone)
A 4x4 allows Damien (director), Paulo (first assistant director), Analia (script supervisor), Pépé (location manager) and myself to go scouting with the field viewfinder to “cut” sequence 61. Each time, our vehicle leaves tracks. It is followed to the nearest centimeter by a small caravan (4x4 camera - 4x4 sound - 4x4 grip/gaffer - 4x4 location manager - 4x4 actors - ATV grip/gaffer)
August 23, 2024 - 9:48 AM | Photo by Gilles Porte (iPhone)
19th day of filming... Sequence 65B... Page 50... In the role of Amy, on the ladder, Olivia Ross (actress)
August 23, 2024 - Gilles | Photo by Daniela, unit photographer (Canon 5D and 24-105 zoom)
Being a unit photographer is sometimes a very uncomfortable job, especially when you only have a few days in the middle of a crew that has already become a small family. This was the case for Daniela who only had five non-contiguous days with us. Despite this, Daniela manages to slip into “mouse holes” or under or atop a ladder (see photo above).
August 24, 2024 | Photo by Walter, prop master (iPhone)
From left to right: Arturo (video assist), Nicolas (1st camera assistant), Loco (gaffer), Sophie (2nd camera assistant), Luis (camera van driver but “not only”...)
August 24, 2024 - The ATV and Maria - 5:50 p.m. | Photo by Gilles Porte (iPhone)
Sequence 107... Page 74... “Maria is running in the Nazca desert. On the horizon, the sun is getting lower and lower. The first notes of music resound.”
August 25, 2024 - Nicolas | Photo by Gilles Porte (iPhone)
One day, Marcello Mastroianni told me, when I was still a first assistant camera, that I had the most difficult job on a movie set. I think he was right. I didn’t choose Nicolas simply because he is of Belgian origin, fluent in French and Spanish, but because I knew he was a consummate professional and very generous, at that. Another director of photography (thank you Stéphane Le Parc!) had highly recommended him to me. My thoughts go out tonight to my erstwhile 1st camera assistants, Manu, Samuel, Anne Sophie, Steve, Anyes and all the others who once accompanied me on various cinematographic adventures, well beyond prosaic questions of depth of field.
August 25, 2024 - Loco and the rostrum | Photo by Gilles Porte (iPhone)
Virginie Surdej, the wonderful Belgian director of photography and Analia (scriptwriter of the film) had spoken to me about Loco in such glowing terms that it was impossible for me not to ask him to leave Guatemala (his country) to come to Peru. His generosity, his smile, his kindness, his precision, his physical and mental strength as well as his sense of teamwork are and will always be real assets for any DoP lucky enough to have him on their crew.
August 26, 2024 - Glass of Pisco | Photo by Gilles Porte (iPhone)
Before leaving this Moon-like setting for good, Damien gathers his team for a “Pago à la tierra”... 10 minutes of attention (and another bottle of Pisco!) to collectively thank this desert that has been so good to us...
August 26, 2024 - The Blue Man of the Nazca Desert | Photo by Sophie, second camera assistant (iPhone)
As for me, I honored this location in another way by winning (hands down) a stupid bet with Sophie, the stakes of which can be seen in the thumbnail image introducing this week’s journal...
