WHEN
February 10 – 19, 2024
WHERE
Borikén, Puerto Rico
WHAT
Editing, organizing, laughing, remembering. For the past few months, Puerto Rican filmmaker Llaima Sanfiorenzo has led Ensayistas through an intensive and comprehensive film workshop where each participant embarks on a reflective journey to tell the story of their part in the collective work. Sanfiorenzo’s method, the Self Portrait Factory, focuses on reaffirming a participant’s strengths while building solidarity, trust, and collective thinking. Workshops were conducted virtually, and the editorial team consisting of Camila Marambio, Bárbara Saavedra, Karolin Tampere and Christy Gast met at Para La Naturaleza (PLN), where Camila has been artist in residence, to conceptualize and edit a final film featuring many voices.
WHY
If we view the cycles of growth and decay, movement and stagnation, progress and retreat in a cosmic way, withdrawal is not defeat or injustice, but an essential part of the game and the wisdom of life.
- To celebrate our Ensayos methodologies and the ecosystems and ancestors to which they are dedicated.
- And a final proposition; consider The Retreat as an Ensayos exercise in learning when and how to end things well, a practice of answering the question, what comes after Ensayos?
WHO
Christy Gast / Camila Marambio / Bárbara Saavedra / Llaima Sanfiorenzo / Karolin Tampere
HOW
Thanks to Para La Naturaleza
–photos by Camila Marambio, Bárbara Saavedra, Llaima Sanfiorenzo, Karolin Tampere