The new Cowork Klitmøller is undisputedly taking shape

We have been working (a.k.a. practically lived on the building site) for nine weeks, and the project on Ørhagevej 84 is beginning to take shape. Fortunately, we haven't encountered major obstacles; everything is (knock on wood) going according to planned. The result is, in our humble opinion, fantastic.

At the beginning of January, Fejerskov and I will continue to work on the outside of the building for around one-and-a-half weeks; the rest of the team will move inside. We will join them in the middle of January. There, we will work round the clock until the beginning of March when you'll receive the next update.

It's impossible, and maybe only interesting to us, to describe what we've been through. Instead, here is Mette's depiction of the process:

It is still the goal to be finished by Saturday, April 1st for the official opening day and party. You may put that date on your calendar.

We can't wait to invite you to enjoy the new Cowork & Guesthouse Klitmøller. Until then, feel free to stop by. We won't stop working, but, if necessary, will talk while working. ;)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

STANDING ON WATER - THE ART OF MAKING A FILM

Documentary filmmaking is a bitter-sweet long haul. Once you’ve made a documentary film, you don’t ever want to go through that process again. And I’m not talking about 5-10-minute youtube clips, I’m talking feature-length cinematic experiences. Movies. The real deal.  But even though I swear to never put myself through that painful process again, once I catch the glimpse of an idea or meet a person with an interesting story, I know I'm in trouble. It’s a curse and a gift. All the more it's a huge pleasure to now be able to present Standing on Water.

Anyway, I'm a filmmaker. Two years ago, I was introduced to a group of people in Klitmøller through my friend from Cowork Klitmøller. They were looking for someone to make a film for the local county, and that ended up being me. 

I started researching and talking to folks in the area. Along the way, I met a local kid by the name of Casper Steinfath who at the time was 19 and had just won a world title in Stand Up Paddling. I had never heard his name even mentioned, but I immediately felt an urge to find out more about this kid. Very little time passed before I felt a film was in the making.

This guy!

To begin with I had no idea what it would be about. I’ve wanted to make some sort of surf or snowboard documentary since I was plowing my first powder, chasing friends in the French Alps with a camera in my hand (pre GoPro and Internet-era). But I never found a good story in those years, and I didn't want to make another surf porn just because. It had to be a real story. And everyone have a story. It's only a matter of digging it out. Spending time with character(s) is the only way to do it – and hence what filmmaking is all about. So I did after meeting Casper, and it soon became clear to me that he's had a very special upbringing and lives a very special life. 

Together with Rasmus, I applied for a bit of funding and luckily got it. This marked the beginning of my journey, and I decided to travel with Casper, his girlfriend, brother and friend, to California and Hawaii to follow his quest to win the legendary Battle of the Paddle. 

Shorebreak carnage coming up.

I never wanted to make a sports documentary with the structure of a competition as the main story. I wanted more. The competition was a way to get to know Casper better, and to know more about SUP. Checking in to my flight from Copenhagen to San Francisco, I asked myself what I was doing and what the film would be about. I didn't know. But I knew I wanted to find the answer to that question.

One of my film teachers once said:

"When you make a film, you'll end up making three films. The one you imagine, the one you shoot, and finally the one you end up editing."

I have experienced that before and this was what happened again. I found myself constantly paying attention to everything, trying to write down what I had seen and the ideas that came to me as I went along. I wanted to compose images at the moment that would come together what I thought was the big picture. 

Eighteen months of funding, traveling, shooting, and periods with hardly no sleep, sunburned shoulders, reef cuts, head butts, 200+ hours of raw footage from more than eleven different cameras, weeks of combing through the vast amount of material followed by non-stop editing with editor and assistant directors Anders Obbekjær and Kristoffer Hegnsvad, finding and fine tuning the story, keeping the music composer Adam Mckenzie on track, coordinating with Kong Gulerod Film for post production, developing the art direction with graphic designer Super Schwarz and working with sound designer Max Frost for the final mix, we ended up with something we hadn’t imagined.

Shooting in the wilderness in California and head buttet by my camera housing.

Documentary filmmaking is a tough cookie. It’s a gamble, and it’s certainly not for those who want stability in their lives. At the same time that’s exactly why it’s so fulfilling, full of surprises, ups and downs. Everyday is a new beginning with new tasks and challenges. 

One thing for sure though, you need your peers and supporters more than ever in such a process. You need people around you, who believe in the project and in you. Sometimes even more than you do. You need someone to lean on, and you need to be asked the right questions all along to stay the sharpest and the best you. You need help to do what you can't, and the bonds you build in the proces are priceless. It's like a family. 

We've established a film community called 'Empty Chairs.' Not to necessarily produce a lot of films or make tons of money, but for the sake of working together and creating a lot of different stuff for the passion of it. As we’re approaching the premiere and release of Standing On Water, Cowork Klitmøller has been part of that family all along. I can never thank Troels, Benthe, Mette, Tina, Marie Louise and Rasmus enough for being there and for believing in me, in us. So far it has been an unforgettable journey. Unreal, and beyond imaginable. Together, the future is bright. And I hope for many new adventures in their pleasant company.  

You can borrow my house and car if I can borrow your mobile home

Have you planned a trip to Klitmøller in your mobile home this summer? Would you like to live like a local in my house in Klitmøller – for free? Well, here’s your chance: Let’s swap! You can borrow my house and car if I borrow your mobile home. How’s that sound? If you are interested, please comment below. I know, there are some details – insurance, etc. – that must be in place first, but there are solutions to that. We'll find those together. If I succeed, we might pave the way for a more permanent home/mobile home swap service in Klitmøller — who knows?

No doubt, most of the residents in Cowork Klitmøller believe that our little village is the center of the universe, especially during the summertime, when the ocean is warmer, the days are longer, and the parties reveal so much more naked skin.

Believe it or not, we – the most dedicated locals – need to go somewhere else to surf, to eat, to get inspiration, etc. The ultimate freedom of a restless person such as myself is to have a mobile home. I can go north to Norway, east to Sweden, west to England, or south to France – maybe even Spain or Portugal. Only time and fuel will limit our mobility.

In Klitmøller, downsizing is not uncommon. It fits the lifestyle of a surfer, where flexibility is the key to the ultimate experience. I encourage myself on a daily basis to let go of consumerism and materialism, to free myself from “things” and focus more on freedom and possibilities.

Along with my boyfriend, I am, however, (still) a house owner, and not a wealthy one. We have three kids and an imaginary rabbit. In other words, sharing and trust are our currency. Renting a mobile home in Denmark is seriously expensive, as is renting a house in Klitmøller during the high season. So here’s a thought:

You, my (most likely German) fellow surfer, can borrow my house if I can borrow your mobile home. No money will change hands. You’ll be nice to my home because you know that I’ll take care of your vehicle.

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Credits to my friend Ole Busk for coming up with the home/mobile home swap service idea. 

Rayaworx Coworking – you go, take a swim and go back – to work

When I attended the Coworking Europe 2014 Conference, I met Doris Schuppe. Doris describes herself as a digital pioneer, mobile enthusiast and now coworking host. I soon fell into conversation with her as it turned out that we were working on similar coworking projects. 

Whereas our place is in Klitmøller, Cold Hawaii, in the (relatively) high north, she, along with her partner, began a coworking adventure in Southern Europe. Doris has been kind enough to share their story with us. Here it is:

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To understand why we're starting a Rayaworx Coworking at Mallorca, you've got to know two things about me.

First, I like riding my bike, a BMW F800 GS, together with my husband, who rides a Ducati Multistrada. Before moving to Mallorca, we were living in Munich and so were blessed with winding roads in the Alps near at hand.

However, as soon as the snow melts, the roads become crowded. For us, this was overshadowing our joy of driving, which increasingly was becoming frustrating to us. In 2012, we found ourself at a point where we wanted the change that could revamp the joy.

Second, when I started working as a solopreneur again in 2010, coworking soon became my favourite way of meeting new faces and getting something done. I disliked the isolation of having just my own office and was fed up with the ups and downs of a shared office.

In 2013, we had to cancel our planned motorcycle tour to the Pyrenees. Instead, we decided to go to Mallorca. We had been there several years ago and found it quite nice. We rented motorcycles and booked some tours with Mallorquin Bikes.

During the talks with other tour members, I realised that moving to Mallorca could both restore our joy of driving and support my passion for coworking. We could have great times on our bikes, exploring the roads in the Tramuntana Range and do business by offering coworking (and a stable Internet connection, which still is hard to find in rural Mallorca) as a service to expats and travelers alike.

After having convinced my partner, we worked for a few days on the concept and finally – as a first test – presented the concept to the owners of the motorcycle rental company. They immediately liked the idea, and well, for some reason, it gave us the courage to continue, and we haven't looked back ever since.

Lots of preparations later, in October 2014, we moved to Mallorca and founded our Spanish company. In February 2015, our 185-square-metre coworking space opened its doors in southeast Mallorca, in Santanyí, Bernat Vidal i Tomàs 43, 07650 Santanyí, just 4 km from the beach in Cala Santanyí.

Santanyí is also the name of the municipality; it truly is a gem and a very beautiful place. The area covered by the municipality extends around 35 km along the southeast coast of the island. It encompasses a variety of beaches popular for their scenic beauty. 

It also holds a large number of archaeological sites — 172 — evidence of the existence of a productive agricultural tradition since at least the Talaiotic Period. Santanyí is also home to a protected natural area, the Mondragó Natural Park. The area is great for outdoor activities, except for surfing. To surf, you have to drive to other areas of the island. 

There's still some bits and pieces we need to take care of before we can open our space. When that happens you'll not only have a nice place to cowork, you'll also have free access to bicycles. On hot days, the Cala Santanyí beach is only 15 minutes away. So you go, take a swim, and go back and work again. Not bad for a Monday at the office? Follow us to stay up to date. 

Our target groups are solopreneurs and digital creatives and/or nomads who want either to extend their vacation in Mallorca or to stay there for a while before moving on. Furthermore, we target agencies and project groups and invite them to use our place as a nice retreat where things get done. Finally, we target German- and English-speaking residents lacking a good Internet connection.

To this day, I can't tell whether this will work as planned. But I am pleasantly surprised by the positive feedback of friends and acquaintances; our new contacts in Mallorca are excited as well. They like the coworking concept and the idea of working off-site with a fresh sea breeze, sunshine, and delicious Mediterranean food. It's a new kind of vacation; you can travel to the area and the climate you would like to be in and still get things done and meet new faces and business opportunities.

Maybe some of you guys will come around to escape the winter? I would be delighted.

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Well, Doris, you surely have awakened our interest. We at Cowork Klitmøller wish you good luck. See you out there — on the roads and at the digital frontiers, and again thank you for sharing your story with us.