A Day with Documentary Amigos

An early day for El Carro as he sped from Calahonda toward Malaga and took me toward Benagjlbón.  The GPS was kind even though I was sure it was acting up again as the exit guided me up hills I didn't remember that Miguel Alba had taken me several weeks ago.  I had my coordinates right -- I was meeting Miguel, Eterio, German, Ruben and Paula at 9:30 a.m. at the Iglesia de la Candeleria.  I arrived very early because I did not want to be late...even though I've been told Spanish time is stretchy.  That is one of the Spanish rules that I refuse to accept.  Everyone was on time!

Ruben had his audio microphone and German had his camera, bags, extensions and they were very organized.  Eterio directed me and Miguel to "walk" up and down several beautiful, narrow streets lined with bright flowers in pots.  They dangled over walls, on the edge of houses and across alleyways.  Then, we went to the Museo Municipal de Artes Populares across from La Candeleria Restaurant.  The room was filled with antiquities of Benagalbón including old photographs.  One particular framed photo reminded me of my grandfather Bernardo RUIZ Romero.  Could it be his father, Francisco RUIZ Garcia, I wondered.  Within a few minutes Miguel Alba brought in a lady with pretty silver hair named Candeleria...who told us this man was Antonio Arias, no relation to my Ruiz family.

The crew filmed me walking through the museum several times, once talking, pointing and exploring and again without talking.  And again...in specific areas.  Afterward, Miguel explained several pieces of antiques to me involved in the sugar plantation history of our families.  I learned several more facts about the ship manifest I am anxious to share with Steven A. in Sacramento and discuss it also with Cristóbal in Barcelona.

Candeleria (the pretty woman with the silver hair) offered us the use of her patio and house for the next two filming venues.  What fun.  Writing in my notebook outside and then typing on my laptop inside, gazing, thinking and reading my reflections on Spain as Eterio suggested.   The flowers in the patio were bursting with blooms, the view across the valley showed trees and vineyards.  It was a perfect way to include this part of the documentary in the film.  Ruben and German set up both areas with precision while Eterio directed my actions.  And Paula translated for me when I needed it.  The entire crew is professional and funny and thoughtful and nice.  I will miss seeing them.

A stop at La Candeleria Restaurant for a cold drink and then, Miguel drove us up a very winding road toward Moclinejo where a bodega would be another filming venue for us.  But first, la comida in the restaurant in the main square in front of the ayuntamiento.  Menu del día was perfecto as was the conversation around the table.  Paula helped with translation and I stumbled through the rest of it.

Walking from the restaurant to the bodega was eye candy with the flowers, elaborately decorated houses, deep stairwells and curving streets.  This little town was nearly lost in the mountains and yet the character was so Spanish, I felt the ambiance seep into me as the white houses tightly embraced the cobblestoned streets (and me).

Juan Muñoz is the grandson of the Muñoz Bodega and happily explained the wines, the history and opened his small museum to us.  There is a large olla jar said to be from the 1500s with a small inscription showing it once belonged to a sephardic Jew.  The bodega was clean, organized and very neat.  After a lot of conversation and laughter, silly photos and setting up by German and Ruben, it was time to film.  Juan showed us the casks of wine in two areas.

The filming area was viewing brandy aged from 1974.  Over forty-year-old brandy?  Yes, I could do that.  The first take was nice, but we didn't have the positioning quite right.  Then the second take was talking a bit more but holding the glass by the stem so the film can see the wine in the glass.  The third take was more discussion.  The fourth take was comparing (me) the brandy to the red wine I usually drank.  Oops, we started too soon and made a mistake.  Juan leaned down to the grate in the floor and dumped my glass of brandy.  Yikes.  Forty year old brandy???  By now, I had swirled, smelled, stared at and drank four small glasses of this superb, very smooth brandy.  What?  We needed one more take?  Yes, of course I will do take number five.  Oh, I don't have to actually drink it if it's going to my head?  Take five went down smoother than one, two, three and four.

When I saw the wine casks over a hundred years old still being used like yesterday, I would have liked to take one home with me.  But by the time I had 5 "takes" of drinking that aged brandy I wouldn't have been able to find the barrel even if I'd stuffed it into my pocket.  Thank goodness Miguel was driving my car back down the mountain.  Walking up the lanes back to the car, we saw steps, flowers, more beautiful houses and I found seat along the way for a photo.  (as always)

These steps had pieces of colored ceramic tiles embedded in the front of each one.  Miguel told me it was similar to what I will see when I get to Barcelona.  The close up is the front of the bottom step.  The light fixtures at the entrance from the street surely reminded me of Antonio Gaudi's designs.

What?  One more filming session.  But of course I would do it.  This time at the Malaga puerto (port) where the Heliopolis immigrant ship was boarded and sailed from in 1907 with my great, great Aunt Dolores "Glory" RUIZ Garcia and her family.  Eterio wanted me to gaze at the cruise ship and ponder, reflect.

When Eterio and German showed me the video afterward, I was enthralled with their hard work and will be anxious for the final documentary next year.  In the meantime, they are planning a trip to Hawaii and California to film others like me: descendants of other Hawaiian Spaniards.  And I hope to meet them in California when the crew arrives near Sacramento this fall.

The excitement of filming was memorable and so are my new friends, everyone in the filming crew.  I already miss their quick smiles and exuberance.