Filming for Means of Production 2 has been continuing in Corsica! But it hasn’t all been simple fun and games; oh no.
April 4th: Lucy and Luke picked me up from my grandmother’s house in London and we shot off at high speed to catch our ferry. However things took a turn for the inconvenient when Luke’s radiator exploded just before reaching the dartford crossing.
This could have been rather stressful, however I was able to calm myself by playing my travel guitar on the hard shoulder (modelled here by Mat “maqic” Morrissey).
We were towed back to my grandmother’s, had a cup of coffee and decided: if Luke’s car wouldn’t take us, then my Vauxhall Corsa Can. Ha!
It would be a 3000 mile round trip that would leave me without brakes and spending around £500 on repairs and losing a kayak. But it was worth it.
Observing a ferral existence, we barely had time to string up a hammock; setting up camp wherever we could, we managed so circumnavigate the Island in a week.
Now don’t get me wrong, Corsica is fantastic. It’s just that sometimes Corsican rivers can be a little bit like…
And now-and-then a little too much like…
And all to often a bit…
And Corsica is hungry for kayaks! A “slight” mis-judgement left me quite stuck in a hole on the upper Veccio.
Realising just how stuck I was, I relieved myself from command of my vessel (i.e. I swam), not forgetting to go back in for my camera!
I swam up, hungry for air, only to hit my head on the bottom of a cliff. With my eyes just above the water line, I could see the deep dark nothingness of a cave. With the feeling of water pulling at my feet, I was not in a happy place.
So I spun around and was a bit happier to see light behind me; I was beside the hole and not behind it.
Peli Case in hand, I clawed my way as far out the cave as I could before attempting to grab some of the downward flow of the pour-over, which I hoped would carry me to safety – Concerned though I was about going too deep, ending up behind the pour-over in the darkness.
I resurfaced, again hitting my head on the cave ceiling, and decided that I was in a pretty bad way… I ditched my camera!
Grabbing the downward flow (as tactically as I could) I made another attempt at escape. Travelling deeper this time, I was aware that I hadn’t made much distance down stream. This was bad.
As I floated upwards for another attempt, I was struck my the devine presence of nylon in my left hand. I never noticed before the heavenly texture of floating rope! I felt it tighten and was reminded of my first experience fishing in Siberia. (Thanks Luke!)
My head above water, I looked to my right and grabbed my Peli Case floating next to me; it had not been so bad. My kayak was never seen again…
The scramble out of the canyon was pretty trivial, all things considered. That is so long as you don’t encounter a train in the tunnels!
But Corsica is a beautiful place – kind if you don’t take it for granted. Beautiful views await us on the top of one of the higher mountain passes.
Steep (often dangerous) water is extremely satisfying to navigate; the hardest runs being full of many brain-teasing problems to solve.
Keeping your knuckles and elbows safe is one of Corsica’s dark arts. But it is an art – a skill worth refining.
And occaisionally…
Many more opportunities to find good shots for the next film!
And if that’s all too much, why not try some playboating on the middle Golo!
A new trailer for MOP2 will be out this Summer. Keep watching this space:
Means of Production: www.mopmovie.co.uk
Means of Production 2: www.mopmovie.com