The Finishing Line in sight.

So why have we been quite for so long? The answer is easy to guess… we were editing LoveTrips. Yes because after the great experience of traveling to more than 15 different countries in Europe and gathering so many experiences, there we were, with 35 hours of footage locked in the caskets of the hard disks. As Michelangelo had to say about sculpturing - that the shapes reside already in the stone, the work is in disentangling it from the rest-, we valiantly approached the quest by removing what we thought wasn't part of the picture.

The process proceeded through different phases: first logging the material in. That is, we first went through it several times, to "absorb it". We took notes on paper and on markers on the timeline.

The logging part was definitely the longest part of it. After that we proceeded in defining the common patterns among the material. Threads that could have allowed us to saw together a story. Because that was our paramount objective, tell a story, by not to get lost in the meanders of meaning.

A work copy is now being shown to panel audiences and hopefully we'll get to a picture lock soon.

Switzerland - Marianne

Marianne, Paul's (Haarlem) partner says that spirituality is a strong bond in their relationship.

Berlin

Aneta and Tomas (interviewed in Stockholm) were sweethearts when they where 16 year old in Poland, but then events brought them to live in two different countries. 26 years later, they found each other once again. Living in two different European capitals hasn't stopped them wanting the life they longed for.

Copenhagen

See the Elephant: make the best of whatever comes, even distance can present an opportunity... and never forget La Belle Epoque, because these were the good old days. Emma and Emmanuel are this and much more.

Malmö

Marco and Frida have been together for 8 years and they've been married for two, but for the most they haven't been living in the same country. Time has arrived to share a place to be.

Stockholm

Tomas not only deals with planes and airports at work. For him taking a plane is a way of living as every weekend he gets on one and goes to Berlin to be with Aneta.

Lund (Sweden)

For Sue and Bertil age and the fact of living in two different countries doesn't excuse you from living your youth once again.

Lomma Beach (Sweden) - Backstage

Courtesy of Bertil, here is a still of the behind the scenes of the portray on the frozen Lomma Beach.

And here are some more stills:

Tallinn

Lena and Livio have a few things that sets them apart but not much that can separate them.

Tallinn - Making

A making clip of the shoot with Lena and Livio.

Zakopane (PL)

Nico and Zuzana come from Holland and Slovakia but met at an Esperanto convention, as this is the language they speak between themselves.

Basel

I met Till and Anya for the interview back in November. They are fire artists by profession . Inspired by their love story they prepared a show. Portions of it are going to be icluded in the film.

(Their site http://www.inlovewithfire.de/)

Guildford (UK)

Hannha came to Europe to get a change of scenery from the Australia where she grew up. She settled in the UK and found Ricardo in Portugal (who I've already met in Lisbon) with whom she likes to travel and to look at the future.

London

Alisa and Basak have settled to live together in London but only after years of cris crossing continents. It was an experience that led to discoveries in the many ways of being together.

On the other side...

Making in the making, on one side a frame from the footage on the other Mark's picture. (Anyway thanks for it Mark!).

Stevenage (UK)

There is no distance that holds when there is sparkling creativity and the will to surprise each others senses, like Mark and Gloria teach: they never stop to post each other scents and perfumes.

Brussels

Arnaud and Tanja and the ways of juggling between professional commitments, kids to raise, plans for the future, horse raiding and much more. All of it taken with determination and charm.

Haarlem

Paul opened a door on what it means to live the distance factor in a relationship as an opportunity of pursuing a spiritual nearness.

Amsterdam

Elena and Mike, found each other in SouthAmerica, and keep travelling, but just decided that one place could become their center.

Antwerpen

Xuan and Sandrine, live for each other, and have made their place to be in two different cities: Antwerpen and Berlin

Basel

Till and Anya in Basel, they have made fire their profession.

Paris

Paris was the cross road for few of the LoveTrips characters. Matt and Ines are not french nevertheless they met there because Ines is a choreographer and doing a residency in the city.
Cyril and Amandine are both from Paris, but only Cyril travels to keep his love alive. Amandine told us the story of how the distance at one point was simply too much...

Many stories spring from love and especially from hindered love. As times goes, and filming proceeds, these stories start weaving the film together.

Lisbon

Lisbon was quite an experience. The heat, the steep roads, the difficulties in finding a place to conduct an interview when you can't interview in a military barrack... but, but the light was special. It might have been the proximity to the Ocean or the autumn at the door... who knows. What I know is that I'm being lucky as all the people that I meet are as splendid. In Lisbon I met Natalia and Pedro together for the few intense days that a long distance relationships allows. I met also Ricardo, longing for a day that will eventually come when he'll live with his Hannah.

Here are some more frames from the footage: