From the Absurd to the Sublime: The Creation Journey of «The Beautiful Lightness of Colombianness»
More than a decade ago, we embarked on our first documentary project titled «Imaginarios, el goce de lo simple,» a reflection on happiness in Colombia. On one side were university students from Bogotá’s upper class; on the other, young people from a rural school in the province, each with their own particular view of what it meant to be happy.
From the Classroom to Drunkenness
After finishing the shoot, a group of us aspiring filmmakers decided to dive into a conversation about the same themes we explored in the documentary. Armed with tequila and a camera, we plunged into the discussion. What began as a trivial and absurd conversation ended up revealing unexpected truths. Amidst the drunkenness, points of depth, beauty, and authenticity emerged that we could never have anticipated.
The Revival of the Archive: A Decade Later
Eleven years later, I rediscovered that archive. I saw in those images an interesting opportunity: to resurrect those conversations, not just as a document of the past but as a work that blended yesterday and today. Thus was born «The Beautiful Lightness of Colombianness», a metadocumentary exploring youth, drunkenness, nostalgia, dreams, and the struggle to escape not only material but existential misery.
Connecting Past and Future with AI
The next step was to leverage current technology to breathe new life into this material. I used Adobe Firefly to create images that aligned with the spirit of the original script. With the instruction «Cinematic, Vintage, 70’s film,» I generated visuals that captured the essence of an era, giving them a nostalgic and cinematic touch.
To bring those images to life, I turned to Krea.ai, a tool that allowed the images to come alive, adding an extra layer of visual and experimental immersion to the project.
The Music: An Unexpected Challenge
The soundtrack was another significant challenge. I used Suno to generate the music that would accompany the images, aiming to blend typical Colombian rhythms with a contemporary aesthetic. I tried to rely on ChatGPT for guidance to create the best possible music, but found that it might not fully grasp the nuances of Colombian rhythms, so I had to manually discover the best version through trial and error. Nonetheless, the final result was a soundtrack that captures, I believe, the energy and emotion of the documentary.
The Editing: Where Everything Comes Together
Finally, everything came together in the editing process. I used Davinci Resolve to weave together the 2013 archive footage with the 2024 creations, creating a narrative flow that is as chaotic as it is experimental. Every cut and transition was made with the intention of reflecting that mix of the absurd and the sublime, the old and the new, the artificial and the real.
A Visual and Emotional Journey
«The Beautiful Lightness of Colombianness» is not just a documentary; it is an exploration of how time and technology can transform a trivial conversation into a cinematic work (hopefully). It is a reflection on youth, desires, and the struggle to find beauty amidst absurdity and chaos.
This project has been an emotional and creative journey that I hope resonates with those who watch it. It is proof that sometimes, in the absurd misery, something beautiful can arise.