Filming Diaries Pictured Report 4 (July 24th-27th, La Chureca)

During the next four days we were working in Managua, filming in La Chureca (Managua´s garbage dump).

Only two years ago, it was a place where you could find a 24/7 asphyxiating atmosphere of dark smoke and sharp-painful smells, ragged mothers fighting with vultures for the bones of dead animals; kids with empty swollen bellies picking bags up off the floor that contained milk to booze; absently-gazing people walking without shoes on a ground covered with glass and needles; cows eating human tumors and limbs from red bags of hospital waste, or a little child opening one of these bags with blood remains and throwing away the blood to keep the bag as his little treasure…

Nowadays, La Chureca is a place where everything is changing fast and the winds of change are bringing new hope and dreams. Hopefully, all the community will benefit from a project donated by the Spanish Government to the Nicaraguan nation. The old dump is sealed, a recycling plant will be working very soon, therefore, the inhabitants will have a house and a job.

Garbage & water.

A day at work in La Chureca.

Despair.

Rivas’ Family. Faces of Hope.

There is always time for FUN.

– Manuel Martínez.

Filming Diaries Pictured Report 3 (July 23rd)

On July 23rd, we visited the community of ” El Dorado”, next to “Apanas” dam. We found water everywhere but most of the times, it was polluted by pesticides used in coffe production. Our friends Jairo and Alfonso, who worked for the Swiss Cooperation Agency, showed us the project that they were running. They were working along with the community and CARE. Everybody in the communty will have access to proper sanitation and clean water soon.

Maria Ines Rizo with her family. Washing their clothes and bathing their babies in the contaminated water of Apanás.

 

Maira Rizo washing clothes.

El Dorado’s canal shared by humans and ducks.

De-oxidation basin to provide fresh water.

Processing water plant in El Dorado.

Manuel Martínez

Filming Diaries Pictured Report 2 (July 19th-22nd)

Then, on the 19th of July, we went to the 33rd Anniversary of the Sanidinista’s Revolution to gain a better understanding of the political context in Nicaragua.

 

People on their way to “Plaza de la Revolución”, Managua.

The crowd waiting for Daniel Ortega’s speech.

We were that close to the President. (Thanks Jorge)

On July 21st, we went to visit La Laguna, a Matagalpa’s indigenous community where we knew about their struggle during centuries fighting for their rights against landowners, governments, and private companies. However, they finally succeeded bringing water and proper sanitation to their houses and producing coffee.

Panoramic view of Matagalpa’s mountains from La Laguna.

Leo, our beloved friend from La Laguna!!!

The 22nd of July we visited different places nearby Managua to film and illustrate the abundance of water (Lake Xolotlan, Masaya, Puerto Salvador Allende, and Laguna Tiscapa) in this region of Nicaragua.

General view of Laguna de Tiscapa

By Manuel Martínez

Filming Diaries Pictured Report (July 7th-18th)

From July 7th, when we arrived, until July 18th, we had different meetings and tours to dig in the water puzzle in Nicaragua.
We came together with different organizations and experts as “Red Nacional de Comités de Agua Potable y Saneamiento” (CAPS), “Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo” (AECID), “Cooperación Suiza para el Desarrollo” (COSUDE ,programa AGUASAN), “Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo” (UNDP), “Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua” (UNAN), “Empresa de Transformación Agraria” (TRAGSA)

We also visited La Isla de Peñas Blancas and San Antonio (Matagalpa) where we visited projects developed by the communities helped by the municipalities, COSUDE, and CARE:

As you can see, Richard Hansen was risking his life walking through an aqueduct….

The joy of water!!

Proof: Clean and Fresh!!!

By-Manuel Martínez.

 

The Filming Crew…Lights, Camera, Action!!!

Here, you’ll find some pics of our beloved crew in our daily filming activities.

This is just the beginning…

Richard Hansen, Philosopher and Filmmaker 😉

Cristina López (Director) and Jorge Sánchez (Cinematographer) taking their best shot.

Ignacio Martínez (Director Assistant and Second Operator) adjusting the microphone…

Manuel Martínez (Producer) trying to understand what’s going on…;)

Director and Cinematographer working hard….

Setting up an interview all together…

Focusing!!

Filmmaker’s conversations…

Interviewing…

Filming water pollution caused by extracting industries…

Ignacio Martinez, alias Pacho MacGyver, fixing technical issues…

-Manuel Martínez