BBC Fresh Profile: Albert Bonet

Film-maker Albert Bonet talks about what inspired his short films The Catalan Way and Carolling Random Londoners.

When a protest demanding Catalan independence was held in London, film-maker Albert Bonet volunteered to help. He also brought his camera with him. He talks about the resulting film The Catalan Way as well his more light-hearted project Carolling Random Londoners.

Why did you pick these subjects for Fresh?

The Catalan Way - The democratic will of citizens all around the globe is a recurring subject in journalism. Most of these stories are about armed conflicts. I think it's fair that those regions in the world that are peacefully asking for independence be given a platform. And me being Catalan, I believe the wishes for freedom of my people are worth spreading in Catalan, Spanish or English through renowned public television channels like the BBC.

Carolling Random Londoners - A friend of mine, Mia, came up with this idea for "Carolling Random Londoners" of just talking to strangers in the street and film their reaction. She would be reciting the lyric of 'White Christmas', and then a small groups of singers would join her singing the actual melody and harmony. It couldn't have been done without the help from my fellow singers in the London Catalan Choir.

What motivated you to make this film?

I saw the Catalan National Assembly was asking for help organising the international Catalan Way Towards Independence. I had moved to London only weeks earlier, I mailed them volunteering to film it. I do not define myself politically, but the yells for proper democracy in southern Europe and the importance of being heard around the world motivated me.

Carolling Random Londoners was in fact the second part of a two-episodes series about Christmas in London. The first one (which can be seen here) was about kissing people under a mistletoe. For the second one, we thought a bit of a capella music would lift our spirits. The idea here was Mia's. She wanted to put a smile on everyone's face by making a random and public demonstration of love. Love? Cheerfulness? Smiles? I'm definitely in! Both kissing and singing did the trick. And we would have continued if we had had more time.

What camera did you use to shoot your film?

For The Catalan Way, I used my Panasonic HMC151 camera. It's not a DSLR, like most film-makers use nowadays, but a professional camcorder. Proper CCD, not CMOS. I used my Steadicam Merlin as well, in order to stabilize the travelling shots across the 800-people human chain. You can watch the full-length travelling sequence here.

In Caroling Random Londoners I didn't use a steadicam, just a handheld camera.

Who/what inspires you?

I believe communication determines reality. I'm passionate about generating emotions through senses, and giving worthy stories the spotlight they deserve in order to communicate, and therefore create, a more conscious world. What inspires me? Honesty, the will to face challenge, freedom, courage, the pursue for happiness... I don't know what inspires me, but when I see it, I know.

What are your plans for the future?

I moved from Barcelona in mid-2013 and my plans are to continue meeting people, learning from them and grow both professionally and personally. I think London is the place to do so. At the moment I'm working on several projects from Catalonia, some more in the UK, and on translating my latest documentary to English. The trailer can be watched here.

What is the most important thing you have learned so far?

In life? Wow, that's a really broad question! I have learned to love what I do in a healthy way. To pursue a goal without caring too much about the results, just enjoying the ride. In fact, I'm still learning to do so. And I hope I'll keep learning all my life, because I love being a curious ignorant.