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Magic Hour with the Coca Growers

• Matt Norman
• 9 Nov 07, 02:38 PM

Posted from: Louisiana / San Fransisco
At about 4pm we all meet up and take a 30-minute drive to join up with a family of coca growers. It has been difficult for Luis to find a family who are happy for us to film them, as they are very aware that the growing of coca is controversial and they do not wish to get into trouble with their community.

The San Francisco area as seen from a helicopter

As we drive we film Bruce talking with Luis about the area and his expectations of the days ahead. Our driver asks me to lower the camera when we pass a settlement, as filming in the area could be dangerous because we could be mistaken for undercover D.E.A.

Once through the town we resume filming and before we know it we鈥檝e arrived at a small group of wooden huts on top of a hill. We are earlier than expected and the family is still out harvesting coca leaves so we remain in the vehicles, taking in the gazes of a few young kids on the porch of a nearby hut. The view from here is breathtaking so it鈥檚 not a bad place to pass some time. Little by little kids of all ages and sizes slowly start to appear and Luis is happy for us to leave the vehicles and mix.

The kids are stunningly photogenic with cheeky glints in their eyes. They crowd around with great excitement and are especially excited when they are filmed and then see themselves back on the small video cameras we are carrying for the website. This gathering soon turns into an enthusiastic funfest and by the time the adults arrive the kids have already given us their vote of confidence and their parents don鈥檛 have a choice but to go with their children鈥檚 acceptance.

Bruce films the local children

With darkness falling, one of the elders blows a loud whistle and the kids sigh with disappointment that the fun is over and trudge back to their houses. Because we are losing the light I break out a small light and Matt B holds it to illuminate people鈥檚 faces. The natural light (called Magic Hour) at this time is perfect, as there is a lovely blue to the sky and the faces - accentuated slightly by the light - are lit by the warm glow of the sun.

There is only a small window of this soft light so we keep shooting. Luis translates a request from Bruce to the community to ask for their permission to film them and tell their story, to which they agree. By now it鈥檚 pitch black and the chatting via translator continues with vigour. As well as lighting the faces the light is now attracting hundreds of biting insects and for both Matt B holding the light and myself right next to it it鈥檚 not too pleasant. I start to feel very dizzy. I start to sway a little and look across to Zubin to see if he鈥檚 also suffering with the heat but he鈥檚 fully focused on his sound mixing and looks fine.

Matt films Bruce playing with the children at the coca fields.

Feeling as though I鈥檓 about to faint I take time for a tape change, take on some water and mount the camera on the tripod. This proves a good call as the villagers talk for another half hour as they all speak of their enthusiasm of having visitors spending time in their community to tell their story. We film Bruce and Luis being welcomed into Antonio鈥檚 family hut and leave them to spend the night there while we travel back to the hacienda.

As it鈥檚 dark and the isolated roads are dangerous, we head back carefully along the bumpy tracks, this time no music is playing and we鈥檙e not stopping. It feels risky. We pass through the small town, with a few unfriendly looks along the way, and we leave along a murky rubble-strewn street with doorways lit up by blue and red neon lights and young girls hanging outside. It鈥檚 a sad reminder that life here is tough and there鈥檚 no easy way out.

Find out more about the coca growing regions

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