Santiago Javier Bazan
(Argentina)
Santiago Bazan was born in Patagonia in 1992. He founded Drive and Publishers (fiction) and then Random Pipol, a documentary project that has toured the world by crowdfunding. He graduated as a director of photography at Beijing Film Academy with a full Penteado Scholarship. Since then he’s been shooting commercials, fashion films, MVs, and micro-docs around China, Brazil, Spain, Argentina,
Netherlands, Portugal, and Chile, holding 20+ international film festival nominations. His photography work has been exhibited in art galleries and his poetry has been published in printed magazines.MINGA is Santiago’s first project in his motherland.
MINGA
MINGA is a tradition in Chiloé Island (Patagonia, Chile) where, once a year, community members join forces to move historic wooden houses using ropes and creating pulley systems. These traditional houses have become a symbol of Patagonia’s architectural and cultural heritage, but due to changing environmental conditions, these houses sometimes need to be relocated to preserve their history and beauty.
With poetic awareness, we aim to explore the connection between humanity and nature, home and journey, and safety and resilience, inviting the audience to reflect on timeless themes such as heritage, cultural preservation, and the enduring spirit of the local communities. These micro-documentaries are long sequences of slow-motion close-ups that portray the emotions of the community members and their celebration, immersing viewers in the spiritual journey of the MINGAs through Fujifilm GF lenses.
BTS Footage
