Closeness

Danilo Parra makes films & takes photo’s. I don’t know much else about him. I must have come across his blog awhile ago but haven’t really checked back in until now. He’s got a film that’s just started screening called Closeness and after seeing the preview I’d like to watch it. What got me is a glimpse into his process, the simplicity of discovery and what can lead to a film. Here’s what he said back in December last year.

“I have been wanting to work on a personal project lately but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I have always wanted to do a documentary on this Mariachi Band that plays in the subway systems of New York City, so I decided to go hunting for them. After a whole day of searching every subway system I could, I gave up.
While getting off the 4-5-6 at 14th Street Union Square, I heard the beautiful sound of a saxophone. I walked over to the opposite platform and saw this man playing for tips. There was something about him that interested me so I talked to him a little bit and asked him if he would like to work on a project. Meanwhile I had a digital recorder in my pocket recording his music. I got his number and took off.
When I got home, I listened to his music over and over and let it haunt my thoughts as I thought about a project I could do with him and how it would be put together.
I called him the next day and arranged to meet him at Nut Roaster Studios. My friend Kevin Hayden and Dan Witrock filmed as I did the interview. All of a sudden I began to realize that this wasn’t your average street musician. This guy played with Miles Davis and had numerous albums. I even found a Wikipedia on him when I got home.
Wikipedia:
Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre is an American free jazz tenor saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. After his 1981 live album, McIntyre recorded very little, playing on the streets and in the subways of New York.”

CLOSENESS TRAILER from danilo Parra on Vimeo.