NYC Independent Film Festival - Films - Antarctica

Check out this interview I did for my Antarctica film premiere next week. Below are some excerpts and the full interview is here: https://www.nycindieff.com/film/antarctica

Interview by Kerby Pierre. 

KP: Thank you Reuben for taking the time to answer some questions for us. Your film is very unique. What inspired you to film this exotic short?
RH: I had a strong feeling that visiting Antarctica, my final continent, would be a significant life experience. I wanted to memorialize the journey in a special, meaningful way. I was inspired by Ron Fricke’s time-lapse work in Samsara, and the one second a day sequence in the movie, Chef.

KP: The film shows NYC, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Antarctica. Why did you choose those five locations?
RH: The film begins and ends in NYC, which is where I live now. Argentina is where we embark on the Antarctic expedition ship, and I also wanted to visit the Salar de Uyuni (salt flats) in Bolivia, and photograph the Milky Way rise above the Atacama Desert in Chile, one of the driest places on earth.

KP: Of all the vast landscapes of these five diverse countries how did you narrow it down to two minutes?
RH: It was incredibly challenging to film every single day, especially on the boring days where not much was happening, such as travel days or days at sea. I really had to reach and try and find beauty in the mundane, and editing it down to just one second a day was extremely difficult. There are a lot of beautiful shots that didn’t make the final cut.

KP: What do you want the audience to get from this beautifully shot short?
RH: There is beauty everywhere, even in the mundane. Antarctica, the largest wilderness area in the world, transformed and forever changed me. Never in my entire life have I been in such close proximity to so much wildlife and such raw, untouched beauty. It humbled me because it is like no other place on earth. I hope these images will have a lasting impact and inspire others to protect and safeguard the future of our planet.

BEAUTY, BALANCE, AND GRACE | World Premiere in Paris, France

My film Beauty, Balance, and Grace featuring JR and NYC Ballet principal dancer Lauren Lovette, will premiere at the Paris Short Film Festival in Paris, France on 5.5.16 at 10 PM. I’m very excited to take this film out into the world and hope you can join me at the Paris screening in a few weeks!

Tickets and info here: http://www.psff.eu

Trailer coming soon…

Join me next week for the world premiere of my film, ANTARCTICA, screening at the NYC Independent Film Festival on Wednesday, April 27th at 4:15 pm.

Trailer: http://reubenhernandez.com/antarctica-trailer

Tickets and info: https://www.nycindieff.com/session/art-experimental-films-sessions-1

I look forward to seeing you there!

Follow the fish

#WHPonthego

(at Aruba)

We’ll all float on okay II

(at Natural Pool Aruba)

Found some fish

(at Arashi Beach, Aruba)

When you think of me think of Rembrandt a little light and a lot of darkness

#WHPlightandshadow

(at Paradise Island, The Bahamas)

| blue on blue |

Quick work break w @jen_trahan

(at Paradise Island, The Bahamas)

ANTARCTICA Trailer

I’m excited to announce my short film, ANTARCTICA, will premiere at the NYC Independent Film Festival on Wednesday, April 27th at 4:15 pm, and will screen along with 8 other shorts.

Trailer: http://reubenhernandez.com/antarctica-trailer

Info and tickets: https://www.nycindieff.com/session/art-experimental-films-sessions-1

I would be so honored if you came out and/or invited anyone that would be interested. I look forward to seeing you there!

Warmly,

Reuben

“You were once wild here. Don’t let them tame you.” - Isadora Duncan

Luisa # 3

(at New York, New York)

When all else fails, dance.

Luisa # 2

(at New York, New York)

| urban exploration |

Luisa # 1



(at New York, New York)

35 mm film photo of me on top of Half Dome by @matthewtmorgan

#filmisnotdead #justdothedomething

(at Half Dome Summit)

Exploring South Africa and Tanzania with Reuben Hernandez

My guest post and Africa images on the We Keep Exploring blog:

My dear friend Andrew and I decided to do a 6 week adventure in South Africa, Tanzania, and Zanzibar because he quit his job this year and launched his own company. We wanted to do some things we have never done before, such as summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, one of the seven summits and the highest mountain in Africa. I was on a personal long time mission to see Great White sharks breach in South Africa, which I missed on my previous two trips to Cape Town. Just over five years ago, I also quit my full time job, hit the reset button, and hopped on a plane bound for South Africa.

For the past five years, traveling and exploration has been much of an independent pursuit, as I am often sent out on assignments on my own or other people just don’t have the flexibility to join me. A huge challenge with being away on the road so much is that I can sometimes feel disconnected from my community and friends. Building community, exploring, and creating are some of my core values, and to be able to share all of those things together at the same time with a good friend is quite meaningful and memorable. And at times it was beautiful and transcendent, especially at the top of Africa at nearly 20,000 ft above sea level, and when we took a boat out to surf the outer reefs of Zanzibar. 

Lately, I’ve had this grand vision of building community through travel, exploration, and creating art, and I’m reminded of the following quote by Christopher McCandless, “Happiness only real when shared.”

There is beauty everywhere worth pursuing and exploring, even in the places that we least expect it. Get out there and find it. Be fearless. Be wild. Be free.

All My Best,
Reuben

| 10:33 PM |

Iceberg # 13

#antarcticaordie

(at Antarctica)

“I came to learn that New York is very appreciative. Yes, I know ultimately it is a city of PR – that they tell you what you want to hear and make you think you need what you really do not need. I know there’s always a million-dollar deal in the works on Monday that has fallen through by Friday. But there is always the next Monday. London was all jigsaw jungles and roundabouts and confusion. New York’s geography is direct and enabling; it helps people meet and get things done. It’s very hard to get lost. And in fact, it’s very easy to find yourself.”

—

Susanne Bartsch, party promoter, arrived: 1981

From New York Magazine’s “My First New York”

Those African sunsets are undeniable

#bigcatsplayball

(at Kruger National Park, South Africa)

“Let the waters settle and you will see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being.” - Rumi

Zanzibar actually has decent, untouched surf. We took a boat to the outer reefs and were pleasantly surprised.

2 of 2 for @topodesigns
#bigcatsplayball

(at Zanzibar, Tanzania)

Exploring the picturesque wine country of Stellenbosch, South Africa en route to Kilimanjaro.

1 of 2 for @topodesigns

#bigcatsplayball

(at South Africa)

Sonita

I just returned from True/False Film Fest in Columbia, Missouri and saw some incredible, beautiful, and thought provoking documentary films. One of my favorites was Sonita, about a young female Afghan rapper that is fighting to end child marriage. I have a strong feeling that this will be an Oscar contender next year. Be sure to check it out!

A film by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami, 2015/Iran, 91 minutes

“If 18-year old Sonita had a say in things, Michael Jackson would be her father and Rihanna her mother. She captures her dream of being a famous rapper in her scrapbook. For the time being, her only fans are the other teenage girls in a Tehran shelter. There, Sonita, a refugee from Afghanistan, gets counseling for the traumas she has suffered and guidance in shaping her future. Her family has a very different future planned for her: as a bride she’s worth $9,000. What’s more, women aren’t allowed to sing in Iran. How can Sonita still succeed in making her dreams come true? Director Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami ends up personally involved in answering that question, reigniting the discussion as to how documentary makers should relate to their subjects. This is just one of the many unexpected twists in an exciting journey replete with the setbacks and successes of a young women looking for her own path. The film’s core consists of Sonita artistically arguing against the disastrous forced marriage practices that obstruct her freedom in an impressive, dramatic rap video.”