A Documentary Journey: Turning our Holiday Interruption into Sustainable Tourism Storytelling
In the world of hospitality, sometimes the most memorable experiences come from unexpected moments. For us at Posada San Marcos, a simple email in May 2023 would transform our planned summer break into an extraordinary adventure of cultural exchange and sustainable tourism documentation.
Read on for a behind-the-scenes look at how a documentary film crew's proposal turned our holiday dates into an immersive exploration of local traditions, sustainable practices, and community connections in the heart of rural Spain.
A Unexpected Film Opportunity: Our Journey with 'Partir autrement entre amis'
In May 2023, an intriguing email landed in our inbox at Posada San Marcos – a proposal that would completely reshape our planned summer break.
The Unexpected Proposal
The email was from a documentary series called 'Partir autrement entre amis' with an exciting premise. Their objective? To showcase travel destinations that embody responsible and sustainable tourism. The series aims to highlight projects that are not just ecologically conscious but also provide meaningful interactions with local communities.
Their pitch was straightforward: they wanted to film a 48-minute episode about our location during their Spain trip from July 1st to 14th.
The catch? These were precisely the dates we had blocked off for our own holiday!
From Hesitation to Opportunity
Initially, we were conflicted with the timing. We had closed the bookings for precisely these dates however as a natural procrastinator, I hadn't even begun planning our time off. We'd grown wary of social media promotion exchanges, having learned that such 'free' deals rarely provide tangible returns. However, something about this proposal felt different.
After thorough research we decided to send a quote for the six-night filming period and not forfeit our holiday without some compensation. To our surprise, they accepted immediately.
A Whirlwind of Local Experiences
The days leading up to their arrival were a flurry of planning and coordination. With such short notice the reactive approach of the area, we sometimes find frustrating, played to our advantage and we managed to create an itinerary that would showcase the rich local culture and sustainable practices of our region:
Cork harvesting with traditional mule transportation
Exploring the historic architecture of Alájar
Visiting an organic goat farm for cheese-making
Touring the dehesa to learn about Iberian black pigs
Meeting local artisan Irene Reyes and her unique glass jewelry
Cooking traditional dishes like Salmorejo and Chickpea Casserole
Private flamenco concert at La Peña de Arias Montano for their final evening
Looking Ahead
The final documentary, was released as planned in May 2024, and we received a week's booking from Isobelle just a few days later! Irene also received quite a lot of interest on her instagram and etsy page!
What a remarkable journey of turning an unexpected interruption into an opportunity to share our passion for sustainable, local tourism.
