Eleven years ago today, I sent the email that would start the adventure of ‘Hard as Indie’. A proposal to
@charlot.cra ,
@bruteix_ and
@nicoalcala to make a documentary about their story.
It took me nearly three years to finish it, working in the little free time I had while starting out as an assistant editor. I had to learn everything on the go: how to direct and edit a feature documentary, how to shoot interviews, how to create the visual effects, how to properly mix sound, colour correct... and, most importantly, how to keep myself invested and engaged in a project that would take years to be completed.
Watching it now, I see hundreds of things I would do differently — but I also feel really proud.
When it was finally released in January 2018, I was overwhelmed by the response. Thousands of people watched it. It was reviewed in major national newspapers. To this day, I still receive messages from people who discover it as part of their university curriculum.
I look back and I’m amazed that my 24-year-old self had the courage and commitment to go for it, that he wasn’t intimidated by the scale of the challenge or the amount of work it’d require. I guess the spirit of ‘The Cosmonaut’ was still somewhere inside him.
Thank you to everyone who helped along the way. Alberto, David, Christian, Antonio, Jaime, Víctor, Alfredo, Mairena, Carola, Bruno, Nico... and so many others. I truly couldn’t have done it without you.
The film is still available (both the Spanish and English version) on
