La Mancha Media: Geographical, Historical, Charitable Films

Mike Ross Updates

Mary Catherine P., a friend of Mike Ross (featured in the film Men of La Mancha) is organizing a ceremony in March of this year (2014) to dedicate a soup kitchen in Mike's name. The soup kitchen is part of the Newman Center at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Mike volunteered at this soup kitchen for the entire time he attended university here which had a big impact on the entire operation and those volunteering, as well as those served. Congratulations to Mike and thank you to Mary Catherine P.

Mike Ross in Monterrey, Mexico during MLM shooting

Mary Catherine P. also has allowed me to publish the note she sent me about her thoughts on our film Men of La Mancha. Here they are:

"Your movie Men of La Mancha is awesome! I cried for pretty much the whole film, it took me all day to watch. To see Mike again was very touching and so very real. I would watch a part of it then have to pause, then watch a little bit more, then pause. It is a GREAT film. Thank you for capturing Mike in his element :) Like I mentioned in the article, Mike really never told us that he did this [film trip to Central America highlighting charities], now that you have it documented the whole world can see it. I really believe that this will impact so many people's lives. I also enjoyed how you captured Mike's mannerisms and things that he would say, that only Mike could. That brought great laughter through the tears :) It makes me smile and so happy that I was his friend. He was indeed a great man.

Actually I started watching the film again a couple of days ago. I wanted to share it with some friends of mine. I'm in a community theatre group and our latest production is called "50 Years of Broadway". Our theatre is celebrating it's 50th anniversary. The show is complied of musical bits from about 25 different broadway shows from the past 50 years. One of the shows that we pay tribute to is Man of La Mancha. To be honest, when I first watched your film, I didn't understand all the tie-ins. Now it is so clear and that is why I wanted to watch the film again with a new set of eyes. The two gentlemen that play Don Quixote and Sancho do such a great job singing "I am Don Quixote and I like him" from the musical. So I am going to share your film with them."
-Mary Catherine P.

The Wild Coast progress

I have been furiously editing away while also working to make a living as a freelance lawyer. I am nearly finished with the edit. The film is about 55 minutes. There are times when it is very emotional to edit, even though the Jonestown events happened 35 years ago, splicing some of the disastrous images with music is sometimes overwhelming. I found fantastic music on the Music Bed, finally making the purchase of 10 tracks there today that I have been testing out for the past 8 weeks. I have also been digging and digging for royalty free images and studying fair use defense in copyright for several clips and images I am using in the film. I have even FBI released photos and military released photos as well as historical photos. I can't wait to publish the film right here. It won't be long.

My stomach just churns listening to the Jim Jones Death Tape, editing images of the 900 dead on the ground, with a piece of haunting music in background. You can listen to the track, Belka (by Spirit of Spain) I chose for the dead of Jonestown at the Music Bed here. I hope in the end people will see this movie is redemption also, as the story of Papillion overcomes all repression and pain.

Devil's Island, French Guiana

Maroons, Suriname

Shot-out plane, 1978, Jonestown, Guyana

The Wild West of Namibia Documentary

Making of Blog post here lamanchamedia.org/2013/03/making-of-wild-west-of-namibia.html

The Wild West of Nambia explores the great and eerie Skeleton Coast, the shipwrecks there including the Dunedin Star, the souls of the dead diamond hunters on her shores and the history of the diamond rush at the turn of the century. Inland discoveries include the elusive Flip Stander, who has lived in the desert among the desert lions, documenting them for his website, desertlion.info. After a surreptitious border crossing into Angola we learn of the Himba people, their matriarchal society, their tragic past, the infamous German General Lother Von Trotha, who nearly decimated them in what is considered a precursor to the Nazi Genocide, as well as their future struggles in preventing a hydro electric dam from ruining their lands and way of life.

Making of the Film

David Whalen was invited along on an adventure trip to Namibia, Africa, by Richard Taylor, a well seasoned world traveler The trip was uniquely planned by Henry Cookson of the UK who organized the Walking with the Wounded Project with Prince Harry. We flew into desolate locations visiting the Himba Tribe on the Angola Border as well as the elusive Dr. Flip Stander who normally never receives visitors. David Whalen filmed the entire trip with one DSLR camera (Panasonic GH2) and a GoPro Hero 2 (off the wing timelapses) and no additional support. David Whalen also wrote the detailed script which provides the viewer with a large cache of information about the area while being entertained at the same time.

Music in the Wild West of Namibia

by cello concertist John Michel, performing works such as Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Prelude, Allemande & Minuets by J.S. Bach, as well as pieces by Chopin, Dvořák and Beethoven.

Technical Aspects of Film:
Cameras:
Panasonic GH2 & GoPro Hero2
Lenses:
Lumix 14-42mm with wide angle adapter
Lumix G VARIO 100-300mm
Lumix G 20mm 1.7
Edited:
Premiere Pro CS5.5, Magic Bullet Colorista & Looks

The Wild West of Namibia was featured in the Africa World Documentary Film Festival at the following locations: The Missouri History Museum in St Louis; The University of Yaoundé, Cameroon; and The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica

Clips from The Wild West of Namibia was shown on German Broadcast ZDF TV on a show called Terra X in Jan 2014. Click here to see episode online.

A Map of the Area

Thanks to all the following persons for supporting our successful IndieGoGo campaign:
Marilucia Garcia Cavalcanti
Marieta, Angela, Stela & Susana Garcia
Carol & Marina GC Barreiros
Stefano Felippe de Almeida & Family
Joselito Canto
Felippe & Julia