Gooooooood Morning Caminoheads!
Well there is big big news on the Phil’s Camino front! Not only will we be having our World Premiere at the highly esteemed SXSW (pronounced South By Southwest) Film Festival in Austin Texas in March, but our Phil’s Camino team will be joined by none other than the man himself, Phil! Yes, you heard right! Phil and the lovely Rebecca, too, will be joining our team at the World Premiere on Saturday March 12, and for the screening on Sunday March 13 as well. You heard it here first!
This is great news for all of us, especially all of us who are going to Austin, because we will get some time to see and hang out with Phil and Rebecca. Also, I have a feeling the filmgoers will be just as happy as we all are to see Phil since the number 1 question I get after every screening of the rough cut I have done includes the question “How is Phil now?” Well, the SXSW audiences will be able to see for themselves! This is very exciting news!
Have you told all of your Texas friends yet? Have you told all of your friends who are film buffs yet? People fly in from all over the world to attend SXSW, so you might already know someone who is going. Have you told all your friends who are flight attendants? They have the most flexible schedules and may be able to work their work schedules around to have a layover that will permit them to see our World Premiere, or the Sunday screening! Finally, do YOU want to make the trip yourself?
I just found out last week that SXSW offers a special book signing opportunity for filmmakers. I have signed up to do a couple of book signings, which seems especially appropriate, since my book (Everyday Camino with Annie) is a 40 day meditation on my own Camino, and Day 40 is all about Phil. Do you think Phil is blushing yet as he reads this, going “Aw come on!” or something?! Maybe, but I realized long ago that once this film reaches people, they are all going to fall in love with him just as we all have! So I hope you’re bringing your open heart to Austin, Felipe!
Our post production work continues at a rapid pace! Our deadline to submit our final DCP (that is the name for the ‘hard drive’ like technology that is how you turn your film over to be shown in a theater) is February 26. Say a little prayer for us, won’t you? And I suppose that it is also just part of my job as Director/Producer that would have me remind you if you would like to make a donation, you can do so at www.philscamino.com . Do you prefer to make a tax deductible donation? Not a problem! You can do so at our fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=12789 Our bills are coming in fast and furiously, and every donation is a step along the way. Thank you to everyone who has already donated, many more than once. We are where we are because of you. I think of you, and thank you EVERY day! I am doing my best to be a good steward of your donations, and we run a very tight ship here. I have been donating all my book sales to this project as well, and dream of the day when I can actually take a salary! We are not there yet, and it is more important to finish this film! I just know that this film will touch people’s hearts and souls.
I will leave you with a comment from the most recent sneak peek screening. There was a woman there who was waiting for the results of a biopsy. After the film, she said she was so glad that she had seen Phil’s Camino. She said it gave her a different way to look at her own situation, and she was very comforted. She didn’t feel the fear that she had been feeling. Wow! I am so humbled by this film, and of course, as always, by our Phil. Thank you Phil, for being you so completely, so thoroughly. You are an inspiration.

I know where we are, just a few kilometers west of Burgos. The cathedral was most beautiful but great to be out in the boonies again. Our next town is Villabilla de Burgos coming up tomorrow.

Walking schedule:

Monday 0900-1000
Tuesday 1530-1630
Thursday 0900-1000
Sunday 1530-1630.

Don’t forget the rubber boots. Felipe.

It’s a direction. It’s an idea. It’s an outlet. It’s a place to hang out, maybe a place of sanctionary. I really like the three words together as they sit there side by side.

The plural implies that there are more than one or it is a group perhaps. Well, it isn’t yet, not today anyway. But it is just waiting to happen. My Rebecca started a group called Visual Delights on Vashon on FaceBook with just an idea. Now after a few years there are over 1500 people in it. That’s a group, right?

Big day for Felipe today. Mass with Catherine, Reconciliation with Father Marc, Sermon from Terry Hershey on Grace, 40 minutes with Sister Joyce, then Camino walk and tapas to top everything off. Man, I’m going to be blown into another dimension after all that.

OK later, wishing you alperfect, love, Felipe.

I think that it is a valid question. These are the kind of things that get us through the winter out here in the Great Pacific Northwest, wondering about newts. Could be worse I guess.

Better quit while a I am ahead, love you, Felipe.

Couple of nights ago I had an hour and twenty five minute phone conversation with my one of my best friends and my college roommate at the New York State College of Forestry. Yea, NYS has trees, lots of them. Anyway he emailed some pics that I thought that I would share.

Mel, has a hobby of maintaining trail cameras on the various acreages that he owns and cares for in Western New York. These cameras have the capability of taking pics day and night, thousands of them. The shutter is triggered by motion. They are small and unobtrusive and are generally strapped to a tree trunk in places of likely wildlife activity. This is a great hobby, if you enjoy things wildlife.

Looking at tracks in the snow you wouldn’t know that a particular deer was a piebald, a spotted deer, an anomaly.

Or by looking at the tracks you would never know that this critter was an albino:

Or here is another that I find the truly inspirational. If we see a three legged animal we generally conclude that it was caused by some accident after birth. At least that is my take, opposed to the phenomenon of color mutation which is genetic. I’ve always been fascinated by three legged dogs who carry on with their lives after a trauma and wag their tails like all the others. Anyway if you saw the tracks in the snow of a three legged deer you would see something unusual there but look at this pic. Look closely, there two three legged deer together:

Well, “carrying on” is an important concept in my thinking. And I’m wondering about the amazing healing that took place for those two. Can only imagine that journey that they are on. Well, an inspiration for sure.

Love you as always, Felipe.

Exciting news for you Vashonites is that our beloved Terry Hershey author of the Sabbath Moment blog will be speaking at Burton Community Church this Sunday. The topic is Grace (capital G) and the time is 11 o’clock.

Terry will soften you up with his warmth and humor and then will give you a priceless gift. All you have to do is get there and listen up. And it’s not Super Bowl Sunday so what will be your excuse?

Burton Church was built in 1897 and stepping inside will take you back to historic Vashon. Then you will have music by Threshold Choir Trio before Terry and yummy coffee hour afterwards. All good with Hershey’s on your Sunday.

Felipe.

For Elizabeth

I met an interesting woman today
who knows about poetry.
Oh yes Felipe, but your wife knows about poetry.
And yes Felipe, your oldest friend knows about poetry.
Felipe, you know someone that actually has a doctorate in guess whato?
You, on the other hand my dear romantic you know dog biscuits about it.

Perhaps, but I know about little blue flowers.
I know what it feels like to fall into a school of barracuda.
I have talked with cancer.
I have taught people how to kill people at 500 yards.
Yes, and I have washed people’s feet.
And so far I have learned that cooking, sex and love
are all about giving, not taking.

My list must count for something surely
it can’t be rocket surgery can it this poetry
Hmm
perhaps it might be
my batteries are below 3%

Don Felipe 2/17/2016 in the Year Of Our Lord.

Here is the latest:
Jess and Todd came up and joined me for color correcting the film this past weekend. That is a necessary part of filmmaking these days, where we are able to watch the film scene by scene, even frame by frame really, making sure that everything looks the way it should. The colorist’s name was Luke Cahill, and it felt very much like we met a long lost member of our team. He fit right in, with an excellent talent for what he did, a great work ethic, and was just an all around nice guy. Last week there was preliminary sound happening in advance of this week’s sound mix. Everyone says that sound is even more important than color, meaning that we as humans can forgive something if the color is a little off, but if the sound is off, the film will look less professional, and will not grab people as much. So this week on Thursday I will be going to the sound mix studio and making sure it is as good as it can be. Friday I will do the same with color. Hopefully, Doug will join me on both these trips, bringing his experience with over 70 documentary films with him. It is nice to have his wealth of knowledge to lean back on! From there it is just a matter of duplicating the film onto the necessary formats required by film festivals and DVDs for the rest of us! Wish us Buen Camino!