Seizing the Summer in Imperia, Italy

Going off-the-beaten path in Imperia, Italy

This past June I graduated as an Erasmus student studying in the new Kinoeyes European Movie Masters program, a consortium between Screen Academy Scotland, Lusofona Universidade in Lisbon, and Baltic Film & Media School in Tallinn. The adventure will continue, as I venture on to complete an Erasmus Internship in Lisbon, Portugal this fall. I packed up my apartment in Estonia, where the cold, dark winter left me dreaming of some place warmer. It's no wonder that on my way to Portugal, I ended up stopping in Italy for an eight-week working "holiday".

As a full-time independent filmmaker and student, there's no such thing as a real "holiday". I'm always writing a new screenplay, editing an old one, sorting through footage, or cutting a trailer. But these eight weeks in Italy provided the necessary scenery to give the illusion I had a real holiday. The sandy beaches, hearty cuisine, and fresh mountain air provided the perfect balance of relaxation, exploration, and inspiration needed to push me on to Portugal. 

While most travelers may head to Rome, Milan, or Venice, I found myself in the small village of Arma di Taggia in the province of Imperia. This was a great base to explore other small villages in the Province. Although I'm a filmmaker, I wanted to seize these eight precious weeks to try a new profession, just as challenging as filmmaking--street performing. 

The small villages in the province of Imperia were the perfect testing ground to try out my new show. The friendy villagers greeted me warm smiles, and if they didn't stick around to buy one of my live paintings, they at least would stop back later, offering me coffee and beer!

There are just a few of the villages I had the opportunity to explore, as well as test out my street performing show, which incoporates live storytelling and painting.

Badalucco

This small village is famous for its quirky locals and its many celebratory festivals throughout the year, such as the wine festival and egg-breaking festival. It's home to several highly productive olive oil mills known throughout the region. I luckily attended the most famous festival of the year--the annual codfish festival on September 17th. This was my first attempt at live painting and storytelling, and it's a village and a first time experience I'll never forget.

Mendatica

For another unique festival experience, I visited the Transhumance Festival in the high-altitude mountain village of Mendatica. This village name name means "it brings water" in dialect, as there are crystal clear springs running down the mountainsides. During this festival, shepherds along with their full herd and sheepdogs stop in the village for a three day farming festival celebrating the heritage of sheperds, as they continue on their path that stretches from Eastern Liguria, across the Italian Alps, into the patches of Piedmont, where they continue moving the herds.

Bussana Vecchia

This is a village after my own heart--as it is full of squatting artists and performers! When the town was destroyed in 1887 with a massive earthquake, the town was rebuilt nearby in Bussana. However, many artists in the 60's moved into the old village to have free rent and create the unique artist village. Since several of the artists are internationals, I may have a future in this village, if I continue painting and performing in addition to filmmaking.

But for now, I'll stay on course, producing films in Portugal at Lusofona Universidade, savoring my last Erasmus semester. Yet I'll continue to look forward to more working holidays in the future, and I know I can count on the small villages of Italy to find the inspiration needed to continue the artist's spirit.