
The closing of the workshop was the farewell reception and the presentation of diplomas. It was a different kind of night: there was no longer a ticking clock or an open timeline, but rather a strange mix of relief, exhaustion, and emotion. At the beginning, Werner Herzog said a few words. He thanked us all for participating, congratulated us on the quality of the work, and commented that, compared to previous editions, he had been surprised by what we had achieved. He said he was very happy with the overall level, and for us, it was a powerful conclusion to hear that from him.
Explore our full journey

We had two days of post-production where all the editors gathered in the meeting room to finish the short films. Werner Herzog, Liliana, and the Extática Cine team would stop by to supervise, keeping an eye on the process and trying to help us meet the deadline.

The workshop dynamic at this stage was very specific: there was a meeting room where, as the pairs progressed with the editing, we could show a rough cut and discuss it with both Werner Herzog and our peers. Several friends from the workshop presented their cuts and great conversations would take place, because hearing others' interpretations clears your head and forces you to make decisions.

We were looking to tell a smuggling story: two fishermen carrying something illegal from one side to the other. We knew that those kinds of stories existed on the island, and we had already decided that we wanted to work with actors and make a work of fiction. With that idea, I wrote a script based on what we had been talking about.

After arriving in the Azores, settling into the hotel, and meeting all our companions, that very first night we had a welcome cocktail.

Yesterday was a fairly intense day. The day before yesterday, Juan left San Juan for Mendoza by bus and, when he arrived, Nicolás was waiting for him. Between the two of us, we reorganized the luggage, said goodbye to Nicolás's family, and from the terminal, we set off by bus toward Chile.

Before arriving in the Azores, the movie had already begun: the waiting list, uncertainty, the big news, the joy… and then the fear. Then self-sabotage, frustration, despair and, out of necessity, the calm to be able to start making quick and efficient decisions. All the time, that strange mix of excitement and vertigo.