Summer in Spain-My husband's 1st feature Film, but I am not a just nice supportive wife.
Updated: Feb 18, 2020
I’ve been splitting my life between New York and Berlin since last summer. It sounds glamorous but in fact it is not. When I am in NYC it means that I am working/dancing which I love but I am away from my family. Last November in NYC, I had a dinner date with my old friend Yukiko Kashiki we started chatting about relationships as usual. Then I told her that my husband, Nathan Buck is turning 50. She asked me what I would give him for his birthday present. Somehow there was no doubt at that moment so I just said I want to give him a chance to make a feature film. She said that that will be not easy, you and your family have to be ready to take a big risk for giving up a comfortable and promising future life. I said “Yes, I know.” Without a conversation with Yukiko, there was no “Before el finâ” I don’t know if Yukiko rememberers this little talk. You are my real friend, thank you, Yuki chan.
Then I returned to Berlin and Nathan and I are both sitting on the couch and I told him, “I have an idea for your birthday. You gonna have a screening for your first feature film on your birthday” And of course he loved the idea. At first, he had several different stories. Then came the idea of this story.
Around the end of January, I was back again in NYC and we are FaceTiming and he told me about thinking of asking Mark Mahler Gomez to use his Andalusian location for his movie. Mark canceled the first meeting but then, he was very nice and accepted for Nathan to use his house and location. Since then every moment that we would meet old friends or new friends, whether truth or a lie I was intentionally telling people “My husband is making a feature film this summer in Andalusia in Spain.” So Nathan could start talking about his film idea. Late February, Christina Todd Mallet (future producer) and Alex Mallet and kids came over for brunch and we told them our crazy plan for the summer. So glad we did that brunch, Christina somehow liked the story and she started telling people, Tara Brenninkmeyer and Phil Bren etc.. in Christina Nathan found someone who has passion about his movie idea besides us. And above all they were willing to take a risk financially. It is wonderful and we are grateful.
This film became more and more real, we raised quite successfully on Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/before-el-fina-movie/before-el-fina-a-feature-length-drama-shooting-in-august?fbclid=IwAR1ISPLOWR9MnPvGpNapetEh4Rng_I0Q3n_9vYL7o8Uk_I2bJE8lAEz1Y7g.
Around that time, I realized that I am not a just nice supportive wife that and that the film is something I started and I wanted too.
At what point it grew from us just talking about a small dream on the couch intimate to something that got bigger without me. I was probably jealous that suddenly so many people started to get involved this project and it wasn’t only between me and Nathan anymore.
Being a stage wife is not easy as I imagined. This feeling is still continuing even now.
Just 2 days ago we finished shooting in Spain, we had 23 cast and crew and it was so intense. I know we are talking about a tiny film but from my eyes it was professional and I could see my husband alive. And I think he was a good director.
I just signed the contract with my boss in NYC which I will be in New York City on his birthday October 11th. I will not be with him and the screening might not be happening as too soon to finish the movie. But I feel I didn’t do too bad for giving him a birthday present.
Over the years, I was more the one doing arty things and now I understood what Nathan was talking about when he described being a shadow artist. I learned something out of this experience.
I have to congratulate Christina and Nathan. You did it! Now moving into the post production. Hopefully the film is good and will move a lot of people’s hearts.
Thank you each one of you in cast and crew and also the local helpers for believing Nathan and working super hard for a little money to make my husband’s dream happen. And also friends and family who contributed on Kickstarter to make this film shoot happen. We couldn’t do it without you.
Finally we are on a way back home to Berlin and can’t wait to sit on the couch just me and Nathan (and Noa and Mona)!
