Las circunstancias de la vida de un taxi boy o un sicario pueden variar de ciudad en ciudad, de país en país, pero la historia de Alex nos habla a todos. Sergio nunca juzga a sus personajes y eso es algo que se agradece demasiado.
ENTRADA DE DIARIO ACERCA DE MADRE FICCIÓN de MARIANO TENCONI BLANCO y LAS CONFESIONES DE SERGIO BLANCO
Montevideo, 19 de octubre 2024 Esta mañana escribí en mi diario “Maravillosa la obra de Tenconi. He pulled an Autofiction. And opened his heart. Saffores splendorous, to the point that I didn´t recognize him. J´aime comme [Tenconi] a mis en scène cette idée d´être laid et aimé à cause de ses pièces. I loved how he exposed […]
CONCURSO DE ESCRITURA para jóvenes de liceos públicos del Uruguay
CONCURSO DE ESCRITURA NOSTALGIAS DEL FUTURO PARA ESTUDIANTES DE LICEOS PÚBLICOS DE TODO EL URUGUAY DE 5TO Y 6TO AÑO ¿Cómo viven la pandemia los adolescentes? Si te gusta escribir mandanos un párrafo (máximo 120 palabras) contando lo que quieras de vos. Vamos a seleccionar 10 estudiantes para participar en un taller con 5 […]
This fall I went to AWP, the largest literary event in the US and had a wonderful reading with an amazing group of American poets. Aside from falling love with Portland, I enjoyed fabulous food and drink in Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. I did an amazing road trip from Draper, Utah […]
This is an arbitrary selection from my first weeks in Greece. There is so much more to taste, so much that I don’t have photos of; all I can say is that every single day this country surprises me with a new delight. A special treat has been my first visit to Peloponessus, to see […]
Por Elbio Rodríguez Barilari (Revista Relaciones) Tenemos mucha suerte. Como letristas, Fernando Cabrera, Darnauchans, Caetano Veloso y Chico Buarque son mejores que Bob Dylan y están en un pie de igualdad con Leonard Cohen. O sea que, en el caso de Cabrera estamos hablando de uno de los “songwriters” más importantes a caballo de los […]
Top 10 Attractions in the Mystical Patagonia, Argentina
Disclaimer: I originally wrote this post for Globalgrasshopper Often described as “the end of the world,” this Southern region of Argentina is full of natural wonders. It spans several Argentinean provinces, a portion of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, and part of Chile and is a truly magical place. Jagged mountain peaks, primeval glaciers, quaint seaside […]
This year, I was planning to host a special dinner on one of the two days of Llamadas parade during the Uruguayan carnival. Unfortunately, a rain forecast caused the dates to be switched, and my dinner plans went bust, because I had to leave town on the newly scheduled date. But on the first night of Llamadas I […]
Famous for being the birthplace of Jazz, New Orleans, Louisiana is wonderful, one-of-a-kind destination. “In the late 19th century, while the rest of America was stomping their feet to military marches, and New Orleans was dancing to VooDoo rhythms. New Orleans was the only place in the New World where slaves were allowed to own […]
My skin is thicker than you think I will survive our time in New Orleans Your kiss was never enough kiss Your fears were hurdles on our bliss The radiant brides of rue Dauphine The golden glare of tubas on the street The soulful singers and the sad bartenders at the Maple Leaf The Vegas […]
A Ravine Dawn – Sunrise as soundrise in La Pedrera
I recently went glamping in La Pedrera. The sounds, images and poem in this video are from a special sunrise during that marvelous experience. Related Images:
I had this idyllic vision of Niagara Falls. Something spectacular, massive, breathtaking. Beyond that, I had no idea what to expect. One night, at my friend Melissa´s sister in Waterdown, Ontario, she suggested we get a package deal at one of the hotels, which would surely include wine tasting around Niagara on the lake. And […]
When I was growing up in Uruguay, my grandma always made dishes that we considered to be Armenian food. But when I visited Armenia, the food was very different. My family, coming from parts of an ancient Armenian kingdom that had been conquered by the Ottoman empire, in this case, Marash, had preserved traditions that […]
ALEPPO was ALEP – Remembering the Armenian Genocide
Yesterday, I learnt about Turkey’s tactics to turn the Armenian genocide-themed film “The Promise” into a box office failure. Apparently, they have been entering about 100,000 poor reviews on Imdb, buying seats in theaters and then asking for refunds, so the seats will be empty, harassing actors and producers, etc. Now that Turkey is even more […]
This is a strange post for this site, but since films are a great way of “traveling” sometimes, I thought I´d share a list of some of the fabulous French films I have watched over the last months. After making a conscious decision to avoid anything produced in Hollywood, I was able to discover many fabulous […]
5 Hidden Tricks Which Could Cost You Money on Holiday
We go on holidays and visit new places to live, to experience the world. We love to travel, because when we are traveling, we tend to focus on pleasure, on creating special moments. There is, however a darker side of traveling, namely, tourist traps and hidden costs. When people see my Facebook posts from different […]
Athens for Digital Nomads – Where to write your masterpiece or edit your film, best wifi cafes, poolside cafes & more
On many days during my stay in Athens last summer, I went out on a quest to find the perfect coffee shop to do some work on my laptop. Because August was so unbearably hot in the city, at some point the search mutated into a quest for the perfect hotel pool, one that allowed day passes. […]
I was an Athenian last Summer, and like any good Athenian, I used to take weekend trips to islands near Athens. My favorite escapade was to Hydra, The island famous for the absence of motor vehicles (you can choose between walking or riding a donkey) is extremely chic, with stylish shops and luxury accommodation. The […]
Make America Grope Again – My Take on Trump´s Pussygate for TBS
Donald Trump’s robotic teleprompter-induced apology about talking about touching women’s privates without asking for their permission, is yet another reminder that the U.S. election is going to be decided exactly like a wrestling match. Did anybody doubt that Trump looks down on women? Wasn’t the fact that he has married one Barbie after another proof […]
El Seguro de Viajes de Assist Card es una sutil estafa
Assist Card me cubrio por una emegencia de salud en Roma. Cuando la doctora recomendo que viajara en posicion horizontal, temiendo tener que pagar un pasaje de primera clase, los aseguradores se desdijeron de su promesa de cubrir mis gastos de estancia forzada en Roma por reposo y me dejaron virtualmente sin cobertura. Assist Card […]
Every time I travel, I get health insurance, I have only used it for silly things over the years. One of the reasons I get insurance is because I had back surgery 7 years ago. Now, I am in Rome, for the first time in 7 years, I have had a problem with my back. […]
Viaje hacia la luz – Nicolás Ibarburu prepara su próximo disco
Nico Ibarburu es una persona que me ha enseñado muchas cosas a lo largo de mi vida. Sobre todo, a escuchar, a dejar ser. Y no es porque sea o pretenda ser un ejemplo de nada. Nico es alguien que igual se queda hablando quince minutos con un tipo de la calle que le quiere contar […]
Europe à la carte – Which Type of Europe Trip is Right for You?
One of the many reasons to travel to Europe is the variety of experiences you can plan. With different countries all close together, Europe is a haven for backpacking and touring. But how do you decide what type of trip to take? These pointers can help you decide which area of Europe might be best […]
Hope for humanity – Pepe Mujica´s Speech at UNASUR
Here is another translation by a wonderful speech by Mujica. Enjoy and live well. Dream good dreams, and fight for them. Dear compatriots, presidents, gentlemen, foreign affairs ministers, colleagues of these years of vicissitudes, I have to thank you infinitely.I am a rough kind of peasant and the only merit I have is being a […]
Love must be pure. It has to respect us above all. Take care of us above all. Love wants our happiness. Love´s greatest satisfaction is the loved one´s joy and eternal bliss. But sometimes we give all these things, we feel we are receiving the same. We feel it in our soul, in our hearts, […]
Tropic Thunder – A Fabulous Ethnic Popup Restaurant Experience in Montevideo
I have heard many visitors to Montevideo complain about the scarcity of ethnic food in our lovely city. Once in a while, however, we are pleasantly surprised by exotic food of the highest level. More often than not, Tropic Thunder´s popup restaurant experience is involved. I first met chef Pablo Cordoba as an exquisite cinematographer. […]
A Taste of the Exotic – Top 3 Places for Portuguese Food in Macau
Macau has always captured my imagination for its rich traditions and unique qualities. Once a Portuguese colony, it is today a special administrative region of China, just like Hong Kong. Thanks to its colonial past, it offers some fabulous Portuguese cuisine, which has earned several well-deserved Michelin stars. Macau is, however, more famous for its […]
A rendez-vous with producer Elias Ribeiro of Urucu Media in Rio de Janeiro Elias Ribeiro was born in Brazil. With awards and selections from several of the world´s top film markets and funds, he is arguably the absolute star of Africa´s independent cinema today. His South Africa-based company Urucu Media is committed to finding […]
Casapueblo – A perfect blend of Art, Nature, and Architecture
Few artists have had the chance to create their own living museums, their perfect havens. Carlos Páez Vilaró is one of them. A disciple of the likes of Picasso and Torres García, Páez Vilaró created Casapueblo, a dreamlike affair that combines a hotel, an artist´s workshop, and an art gallery. I once had a romantic […]
Before I returned to Rio de Janeiro after last Christmas, the idea of the city I had in my mind was a mix of images of Corcovado, Jobim and Vinicius melodies, and a story about my friend Ana and one of her girlfriends ending up in the wrong side of town, in their car, in […]
The state of water in America and the true price of a glass of Fiji
Earlier this year, I saw a documentary about Chevron´s fracking exploits in the US and Poland. The film was presented by its director, who was hiding in a cave at the moment. Chevron was not very happy with the documentary, and his life was in danger. What I saw in the film included people getting […]
I started making a living by writing about travel quite by chance. Having discovered a new career that combined two of my greatest passions, namely, traveling and writing, I embraced it and don’t think I’ll ever stop. Over the years, I have used many different tools encountered online or recommended by other bloggers. These are […]
When I spend too long without getting on a plane, I can get rather restless. This Fall, I found the cure, I am traveling towards the Northern Spring. Although the place I´m going is not precisely tropical, more like a mild winter except for the summertime, year-round, I am so excited to see some of […]
Exotic weddings are very fashionable these days. Sometimes, during my travels, I randomly stumble upon open-air weddings that look like straight out of a fairy tale: everyone dressed in white, the ocean and blue skies in the background, perfect weather; an ideal setting for sheer joy and happy endings. Of course, remote venues can greatly […]
We travel, supposedly, to know the heart of a place, to find what is unique about each corner of the world. In our globalized world, however, especially when visiting big cities, we tend to get, in reality, a bit of many worlds.
Museum of Natural Sciences, La Plata, Argentina – An emotional journey
Quite honestly, I have seen my share of Museums around the world and, unless they are the home of a painting by Max Ernst or another favorite of mine that I am really dying to see, I’m sort of done with them, with the general idea of a Museum, especially while traveling, when I’d much […]
Top-rated cruise ships in the world – A photo blog
Cruising can be a fun, comfortable and trouble-free option for seeing many different places over a short period of time. While I favor longer cruises with overnights and long port times, I also LOVE Hawaii, which requires spending about 4 days in a row at sea, and often dealing with sea-sickness, depending on what Neptune […]
I have only been to Istanbul and Kusadasi, two coastal, tourist spots that are hardly representative of the complexity and diversity that is Turkey. My Armenian family comes in fact from a region called Marash, which is part of Turkey today, but was in fact once Armenian territory. My knowledge about the “real Turkey” comes […]
As I might head to NY City soon, after acquiring an addictive taste for it last Summer, I decided to find out what cool concerts were happening there during the rest of the Summer and early Fall. I was amazed at the quality and variety of the shows (and even surprised that some bands were […]
My favorite London band is actually the curently LA-based Purple Melon, so, I decided to commission this article from Rebecca Felgate, who is much better informed about the London music scene of today. Happy listening! London has always been celebrated for its enormous ability to house upcoming and diverse music. With notorious bands such as The […]
Men’s vs Women’s Holiday Habits Exposed – Johnny Depp’s wife will not be thrilled…
I’ve heard it’s been raining heavily in Britain during late Spring and early Summer. Apparently, it has been the wettest June on record, and forecasts for July are not very promising either. This made me curious about what Brits were doing to escape their disagreeable summer. I was actually planning to write about favorite destinations […]
A perfect Hong Kong visit – Futuristic skylines and meditation gardens
The East will always remain a mystery to those who have never experienced it. In this respect, Hong Kong presents a unique blend of East and West, that may provide a good starting point for exploring some of the most intriguing regions in the world. THE PAST It is hard to understand Hong Kong without […]
Human happiness and the environment – Address by Uruguayan president Jose Mujica at Rio +20 Summit
This is a rare entry for my blog. I was deeply moved by this speech by Mujica, and it expressed many views I share with the man I am proud to have voted to be president of my country. Much as I was in awe of his eloquence and heart-warming simplicity, I was also appalled […]
I’m sad to say that I haven’t seen Egypt as yet. I was in fact scheduled to visit Alexandria for work, when I had to change plans to be able to shoot a film in Finland. I will never regret the choice, but I really hope I can find a way to get around to […]
MONSTRUO, Film shoot in Montevideo – A photo gallery
So, we´re about to show MONSTRUO to an audience for the first time. It´s only a private premiere, but we are superexcited after over a year of work on the film. Monstruo is a relentless thriller, directed by Berlin-based Carlos Morelli, starring two of Uruguay´s most renowned character actors: Roberto Jones and Roberto Suárez. If […]
Liverpool has really put itself on the map in recent years. When it was hailed as the European Capital of Culture in 2008, a lot of investment went into the city, with new hotels and venues popping up all over town. I moved to Liverpool from Scotland at the beginning of 2008 and left in […]
GUEST POST BY BEN GALLIVAN, OUR MAN IN BERLIN There is a big misunderstanding of music that comes out of Germany – it isn’t all techno, opera and Rammstein (although there is a lot of that about too!); there are plenty of different styles of live music being played out nightly, especially in Berlin. The […]
Colonia del Sacramento – Charm from a different era
This photo of Colonia del Sacramento is courtesy of TripAdvisor My most vivid memory from my first visit to Colonia is of the impressive Bullfighting ring. It was in ruins 20 years ago just like now, but, surprisingly, it has retained its charm, although it is no longer possible to go into the actual arena, […]
Antes de poner un pie en las Malvinas, lo único que realmente sabía acerca de ellas era que había habido una guerra entre Argentina e Inglaterra por la posesión de su territorio en los ochentas.Los uruguayos, con una cercanía cultural muy profunda con la Argentina, nos habíamos visto naturalmente inclinados a apoyar el lema de […]
Melancholia by Lars von Trier and the creation of myth
By Verónica Pamoukaghlián About a year ago, an editor asked me to write an analysis of the creation of myth in an audiovisual product. I decided to write about a film trailer I had just seen, which I found fascinating. This article is the result of that commission. Hope you enjoy it. A film trailer […]
When you think of those spur of the moment Las Vegas flights, sustainability and environmental awareness are probably the last things on your mind. For over two and a half years now, the groundbreaking Citycenter complex has come to challenge everyone’s views of what Sin city represents. A creation by Art Gensler´s GENSLER DESIGN, partnering with MGM MIRAGE, Citycenter […]
The math is pretty simple, when there is an economic crisis, people do anything, in order to close sales. Spain is not the exception to the rule, and, on top of all the beauty and relaxation this beautiful land has always offered, prices today are really convenient, when compared to other summer holiday destinations in […]
Romantic escapades – Fabulous places to fall in love
Lake Como “This shore of the lake is one continued village, and the Milanese nobility have their villas here. The union of culture and the untameable profusion and loveliness of nature is here so close that the line where they are divided can hardly be discovered.” Percy B. Shelley A favorite spot for the most celebrated Romantic […]
I heard a lot about Cyprus growing up. I went to an Armenian school, and I would often hear about Cyprus, mostly in history class. The population in Cyprus is mainly Greek, but there is also a small Armenian community, and the Armenian language is considered one of the minority languages of the island. Like […]
Fascinating Gibraltar: Mysteries of a Mediterranean beauty
As things are, I am probably the only person I know who has been to both Gibraltar and the Falkland islands. These two special places have one interesting thing in common: they are much contested UK territories outside of the UK, people are bilingual Spanish-English in both of them, and they seem to have a […]
La semana pasada, gracias al incansable, creativo y emprendedor Juan Pablo Chapital, se hizo un homenaje a Luis Alberto Spinetta en Montevideo. Por un lado, me dieron ganas de compartir algunos videos de cosas maravillosas que sucedieron esa noche, de la cual participaron algunos de los intérpretes más talentosos, personales e inspirados con que cuenta […]
When I went to Finland to shoot my film RAUL, as it was impossible to book a hotel during the Master´s Athletics´ Championship, I used couchsurfing to accomodate me and most of my crew. The experience lead to some deep most likely everlasting friendships with a fabulous Finnish family. However, couchsurfing is not for everyone. […]
Queremos tanto a Luis – Spinetta por Elbio Rodríguez Barilari
Desde ese día en que todos nos enteramos que el cuerpo de Luis Alberto Spinetta dio su último suspiro, personalmente pasé por varios estados. Desée poder esconderme en alguna parte mientras pasaba todo el desfile de tristeza publicitada y mercantilización de la muerte, recordé los pocos pero inolvidables momentos que compartí con él, y los […]
If you went to Punta del Diablo this March without a significant other, you probably felt like the last single person on Earth. What I found there last weekend was beauty without end and, almost exclusively, couples enjoying it. We stayed at a house with a view of one of the nicest beaches, which lies […]
If you enjoy traveling by car and discovering things on your own, without guided tours or carefully planned schedules, the Argentinean South is one of the coolest places I know to have a fabulous road trip adventure. Though I have never traveled there by land, the places I saw while cruising were quite unforgettable, especially my […]
New Zealand – A seafaring paradise with awe-inspiring traditions
As it usually happens to me with films and places, I fell in love with New Zealand for the first time after watching a movie. In this case, it was Lee Tamahori’s superb ONCE WERE WARRIORS. This is a 90’s movie, so, NZ and I actually go way back, but many years would pass until […]
The first time I was in Athens, I wanted to see and do everything. I was coming from Korfu, which I had reached via Bari. I have told many times before on this blog the story of how it was Henry Miller´s THE COLOSSUS OF MAROUSI, in a German edition, read under the delicious Ibiza […]
Into the land of dreams – great travel films of all times
This is the second guest post ever on The Wander life, by travel blogger extraordinaire Joe, who shows a flair for film criticism as well. I added my favorite travel movie of all times at the bottom! Enjoy! If you’re a traveller, what’s the next best thing to travelling? Daydreaming about it? Writing about? Talking […]
So, we are halfway through the summer, and I still haven´t been able to take a proper vacation, but I have just spent a couple of weeks with a few interruptions at my family´s summer house in Las Toscas Honestly, I used to spend only a few weekends there every summer, but this year I […]
Over the last few weeks, somewhere between watching a bit of Food Inc, as part of research for a documentary (I couldn´t stomach 10 minutes of it…), reading about the latest cutbacks to personal freedom compliments of the Obama administration, and watching Chris Hodges’ speech on the empire´s severe decline; somewhere along the line, I […]
I have already talked about my delicious experiences in Istanbul extensively on this blog. Yet I have only recently come across these photos of one of my best Istanbul nights ever. This was the night we had dinner at the top of Galatha Tower, from where our random new best friends came to pick us […]
I visited Hilo many times. Every single time, it rained at some point. Meanwhile, when I sailed into the other side of the Big Island, the sun was always shining. Apparently, there is a scientific explanation for this, but I won´t go into that now. I remember two special times fondly. Once, my Canadian friends […]
A few years back, I crossed the Panama canal a couple of times on a cruise ship. Oddly enough, my most vivid memory of the canal is of a gay Philipino boy named Joy who was withening my teeth at the spa in front of the window, during the crossing. I did actually write a […]
Firenze from the Duomo – A perfect day´s (fairy) tale & video blog
One of the greatest pleasures of traveling is being able to see friends from different parts of the world. Nothing compares to meeting a friend from Spain you haven´t seen in years at the top of the Eiffel tower or running into an old German friend you met in Uruguay while strolling the streets of […]
For anyone blogging about travel, starting a travel magazine is the next big step. Much as people may keep talking about the end of printing, print news and advertising still lead the way in today´s world, and a magazine and blog can create a powerful synergy to market a variety of products. FOCUS If you […]
Imagining India: the ultimate spiritual pilgrimage
Most people I know who have been to India have done it to search for some kind of spiritual enlightenment. People may search for holidays to Goa, because it’s one of the most popular destinations, or choose to visit the Taj Mahal and Delhi. Tour operators often offer yoga and meditation tours of India. Some […]
Years ago, when I was planning my first visit to Istanbul, I tried to get hired to interview Pamuk, just because I wanted to meet him. I hadn’t tried hard enough, and I thought my chances of seeing Pamuk had vanished forever. A dream come true Only five minutes ago, a few blocks from my […]
Chicago travel – just for the music (First guest post ever! by Thomas Stone)
Who doesn’t know about the rich history of music from Chicago? Dixieland and Jazz ruled at the turn of thecentury, while the folk jams of the ’60s and the rugged rock of the ’80s and ’90s defined the nation’s, nay, the world’s tastes in their time. No matter who you are, and what you like, […]
RAUL se retira de Atlantidoc, un festival poco serio
Recientemente enviamos nuestra película Raúl a ATLANTIDOC.
Al pasar el proceso de selección, y como hay una sección competitiva de documentales uruguayos, con premio para el mejor de ellos, y dado que solamente se habían seleccionado cuatro largos, de los cuales uno no debería de estar compitiendo por estar dirigido por el propio director del Festival (RICARDO CASAS), estábamos seguros de que el Jurado internacional tendría la oportunidad de ver nuestra película.
The South of Spain is a place you can visit year-round. When I lived there, our winter consisted of a couple of rainy weeks, nothing more. The region is still beautiful in the fall, without the crazy throngs of tourists everywhere. I spent a lovely week there during the Huelva film festival in November. I […]
Nothing beats that old world charm of Europe with its majestic ancient buildings and museums full of wonders. I have many favorite places all over Europe. Here are some iconic images from some of them. When I think of Portugal holidays, unlike most travelers, I think of the bucolic relaxation of Sintra. In Spain, I´d […]
