In the Autumn of 2003 David and I found ourselves in the Carribean (Bahamas and Cuba) working with team leader and archeologist extraordinaire Dr. John Fox on the last of the series of interactive education expeditions. This was ColumbusQuest and was centered around the mystery of Columbus' exact landfall and it's impact on the local population and beyond.

We were eager to pursue our passion for combining motion and stills and started shooting life unfolding on a busy neighborhood street in Santiago de Cuba. Fascinated by the scene - some guys working on an old american car, but clueless as to how it would unfold we watched in utter amazement as they fixed a friend's motorcycle, rain came down, they washed their car, rappers gave us an impromptu performance and the hero car was fixed and taken for a joy ride. The result was a 3 minute short that played in film festivals and remains one of our favorite slices of life, and the cornerstone of our production model.

Santiago from Merge on Vimeo.