Putting the Pieces Together with Christophe Gstalder

Christophe Gstalder, film, photography, boruca, costa ballena,

Self-portrait - Photo by Christophe Gstalder

Having traveled the world, Christophe Gstalder always returns to Costa Ballena, a place that has captured his heart. He lived for several years with the Boruca Indians, near Palmar, and maintains close ties with community members. Christophe is an accomplished fashion photographer and film producer. His philosophy, my business must be a hobby, that way it feels as if you never worked! He said that living with the Borucans has enlightened him with the real meaning of what an artist is, that is, someone who can be reborn every day. When you ask Christophe "What is the most beautiful part of his life?", his answer: "Tomorow, yes! Tomorrow!" You may wonder, what are his plans for tomorrow?

Currently, he is working on the completion of two films. The first is a compilation of footage from Boruca. He is down to editing 250 hours of film captured through 22 years of life shared with the Boruca Indians into a 52 min documentary in his own style. He will be collaborating with Guilain Joncheray, a co-producer of Deep Forest, on the soundtrack. The film is expected for release later this year.

Trailer for Christophe’s Short Film “Los Diablitos,” filmed in Costa Rica:

His second project is in honor of the 50th career anniversary of Gérard Manset, a French rock singer-songwriter, and visual artist (photo), as well as Christophe’s lifelong friend. For him, this project serves as inspiration, as he is not sure how the movie will end. Christophe wrote the script, but with no end. This seems to be a recurring theme within his life, over his lifetime, he has been collecting the pieces as he goes, and now it would seem a lifetime of experience is coming full circle. This year Christophe returned to the area to film in Cortes, as he and Gerard had traveled to Costa Rica in the 1980s.

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