INTERVIEWS - Goa Hippie Tribe
You explore many different sides of Goa in the final video of the New Generation series.
That video is probably the most personal of the entire project. It was special for me because I shot it over all three seasons I spent in Arambol. I always had my camera with me and I was just shooting what I was seeing. I wanted to create something that gave a more rounded image of Goa and all the different aspects of what it is. As a storyteller, you generally focus on one thing but there are so many different aspects to any place. Goa particularly has a lot of aspects, a lot of beautiful aspects and a lot of ugly aspects.
many different aspects to any place. Goa particularly has a lot of aspects, a lot of beautiful aspects and a lot of ugly aspects.
What kind of equipment did you take to Goa?
The original footage was shot on a Sony EX1, which was a camera I borrowed from the production company. All the new stuff was shot on the (Canon) 5D. The portability of the 5D really allows for greater access to things and gives you the ability to do more filming on the fly, which I really like.
Similarly to the original Goa clips, these New Generation videos will be gradually released online via Facebook. How do you think Goa Hippy Tribe’s 35,000 Facebook fans will receive them?
It’s hard to say, I think the internet is a complete quagmire. There are many different factors – for instance you can spend a lot of money paying a team to activate online discussions and have very poor results. Then on the flip side, a video can just go crazy with very little input.
As the project already has a strong foundation and an established audience, I think people will appreciate seeing new content.
Since working on my latest documentary project This City Speaks, I’ve got the sense that Facebook is changing. It doesn’t feel as personal as it used to be, less discussion is happening. I feel like it’s more about sharing content, less about dialoguing, particularly with content that is professional. Facebook seems to be going into more of a business model, making it less casual, which perhaps discourages people from using it as a place to discuss things.
Now you have finished the New Generation series, do you feel the Goa project is complete?
Ultimately I would really love to make a feature length documentary about Goa. There’s definitely the space to make a more conventional documentary, like a Goa chronicle. Goa Hippy Tribe gives an insight into a lot of the characters and through that you get a patchwork history of how it unfolded, but there’s so much more that happened which could be explored. There are many people who are fascinated by those times who would love to see it, and I would love to make it!
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