i'm back from mexico! to fill you in on the details, i went to anapra, which is adjacent to juarez, mexico. for anyone who isn't familiar with the location, it's a shantytown in the desert, right on the u.s. border at el paso.
the purpose of the trip was to shoot a documentary about a group that builds houses for the homeless and impoverished people in anapra. however, the documentary seems to have morphed more into a promotional video since the organization is moving towards a more religious affiliation and needs all the help it can get.
it was a fascinating experience, shooting part of the time and building a house part of the time. the environment in anapra is similar to a third-world country, with limited water and electricity and a very poorly structred "road" system. the problem of poverty and homelessness in the area has come from thousands of mexicans that migrate there from throughout the nation with hopes of getting jobs in juarez and eventually making their way to the united states. unfortunately, this rarely occurs and thousands of families are shuffled off to anapra and left living in houses made out of tabletops and car hoods and anything else they can gather.
the most unique aspect of anapra is it's proximity to the unites states. there are many poor third-world countries throughout the world but there is certainly something poignant about a third world environment sitting less than 500 feet from the united states. in fact, from our worksite it was, at most, 800 feet to american hotels, banks, and restaurants.
anyway, a group of us travelled to anapra to shoot the building of the houses to, hopefully, draw more help and attention to the issues in the area. we slept on the floor of a church in the heart of the town and spent most of the day either bulding or filming. we made friends with a number of locals, even with the language barrier, and had a wonderful time. it was very hot, as deserts are prone to be, reaching 110 degrees on numerous occasions and then dropping into the 60's at night. we spent most evenings at a miniscule mexican diner near the church that served mostly peasant food (tacos, flautas, and burritos) and coca-cola products (as coke has become an immense presence in the area). there were three houses being built while we were there, so there was plenty for us to shoot and the area was beautiful so it was in no way a struggle to capture some amazing shots.
it was a great trip and i'm looking forward to getting prints of the photos we took, so look for those to make their way up soon. also, i took a ton of notes, so i might expand on the details later, who knows???
the purpose of the trip was to shoot a documentary about a group that builds houses for the homeless and impoverished people in anapra. however, the documentary seems to have morphed more into a promotional video since the organization is moving towards a more religious affiliation and needs all the help it can get.
it was a fascinating experience, shooting part of the time and building a house part of the time. the environment in anapra is similar to a third-world country, with limited water and electricity and a very poorly structred "road" system. the problem of poverty and homelessness in the area has come from thousands of mexicans that migrate there from throughout the nation with hopes of getting jobs in juarez and eventually making their way to the united states. unfortunately, this rarely occurs and thousands of families are shuffled off to anapra and left living in houses made out of tabletops and car hoods and anything else they can gather.
the most unique aspect of anapra is it's proximity to the unites states. there are many poor third-world countries throughout the world but there is certainly something poignant about a third world environment sitting less than 500 feet from the united states. in fact, from our worksite it was, at most, 800 feet to american hotels, banks, and restaurants.
anyway, a group of us travelled to anapra to shoot the building of the houses to, hopefully, draw more help and attention to the issues in the area. we slept on the floor of a church in the heart of the town and spent most of the day either bulding or filming. we made friends with a number of locals, even with the language barrier, and had a wonderful time. it was very hot, as deserts are prone to be, reaching 110 degrees on numerous occasions and then dropping into the 60's at night. we spent most evenings at a miniscule mexican diner near the church that served mostly peasant food (tacos, flautas, and burritos) and coca-cola products (as coke has become an immense presence in the area). there were three houses being built while we were there, so there was plenty for us to shoot and the area was beautiful so it was in no way a struggle to capture some amazing shots.
it was a great trip and i'm looking forward to getting prints of the photos we took, so look for those to make their way up soon. also, i took a ton of notes, so i might expand on the details later, who knows???
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
flimshaw:
that's awesome. i'd like to see the finished product, however it turns out.
lauraelizabeth81:
Flan is a custard style dessert. It is like a cross between yogurt and jello. The consistency is too weird for me, but a lot of people love it and it is definitely something to try. The drizzle light caramel sauce over the top of it.