Second Life DVD – An interview with Andre Paskowski

Andre Paskowski is still fighting against cancer, but realised that it is time to start with the next video production. He already has organised a powerful crew and motivated the creme del la creme of the windsurfingworld to attend as riders in his upcoming movie called “Second Life”.

The motivation seems to be bigger than ever, to land another big hit with the next film. After the big success of Four Dimensions there is definitely some pressure on, but Andre and his crew take it easy and already promise a cool DVD, which will top the success of the prerunner.  Read the following lines from Andre Paskowski, who proofs that he never will give up to love the sport he is born for!

Andre is dressing Ricardo for the interview on Sylt - Pic: reemedia

C7: What is the basic idea of the movie?

Andre: I want to open the riders and viewers eyes to enjoy not only crazy moves and hardcore action but also the country, lifestyle and culture. If I am sitting in 12 months time in my chair here at home, watching the finished movie and if I then feel: “Shit, I have to book a ticket and get to sail” then the movie was a success.
Why do I think that way? I think last week I was crying 3 times. Because I am right here without a chance to move, fly, sail. And I feel… Andre, you travelled around the planet 10 times and you saw 1000 of spots, lots of countries and actually you have not seen much – besides the windsurfing beach. Really sad – I wish I could travel back in time and use every second of each trip and view the country, the culture and so on. Well I can not and this makes me angry.
So, I want that our young riders not only search the best spots, I want them also to enjoy a sick year of travelling.

C7: We know, you were thinking and searching together with the riders for a name of this movie. Who had the final idea to call it “Second life” and why?

Andre Paskowski: Well, I am pretty bad in taking final decisions so I put it back to the riders to find the right name. We got lots of names and in the end it came down to “domino effect” or “second life”. The 6 riders voted. It was a 3 to 3 result, so I had to make the final call. We had two slip of papers with the names and I draw second life. In the end I am happy about the name. It could not be better.

Kauli Seadi is new in the team besides Philip Köster and Ricardo Campello

C7: Can you already tell some of the unique spots you will visit? Or did you film at some of these spots already?

Andre: I don´t want to tell too much. We will have some nice, new spots but also some known spots in. The mix is the most important.

C7: Are you going to produce a lot of content as well at the known PWA worldcup spots?

Andre: Well, we are trying to avoid that. That´s because of many problems during contests. First of all, the riders focus on the competition, but that means that even in great conditions we sometimes sit on the beach without filming. That´s the most frustrating feeling ever. Also we like to have our footage unique. So, if there are 100 clips of an event already in the internet, then I definitely will not put the same on a movie.

C7: Will the content follow more a story or will it be an action loaded movie with special effects? Did you already work on the storyboard?
Andre: The storyboard is more or less finished, but it is hard to film a story with windsurfers. They are pro windsurfers and not actors. For sure, we will give the movie a sense and deeper touch, as already written.

The van with the gear is ready

C7: You mentioned once that you would like to work on a 3D spectacle on blue ray! Any plans to work in this direction?
Andre: 3D and Blue Ray. Give me a couple of 100.000 Euros and we do it. I am IN. Haha. I think at the moment we see a big 3D hype. But the products for filming 3D are still not there yet. Plus, the end devices for watching are not really out yet, too. Or do you have a 3D TV in your house? But we will increase our quality in all directions that´s for sure.

C7: Will you work again with the same team of riders?
Andre: Yes, I will work again with Gollito Estredo, Marcilio Brown & Victor Fernandez. But, we also will include 3 more names: Ricardo Campello, Kauli Seadi and Philip Köster. Very easy why I picked them. They are the best, they are young and they deserve a high quality production movie.
Is it not sad to see that few quality productions on the market? When I was a kid I saw plenty of great movies, like Rip, Polakow Movie, Alive, Stone Movie, Search, Windsurfing Movie 1. But where are the movies about the future of our sport? I mean everywhere I listen a sort of sad feeling like “Windsurfing is going down”. But then I see this young guys around. Flying crazy, spinning crazy and not much people see it.

Those 6 guys of the movie have proven to set levels in their disciplines and to re-create windsurfing. So they deserve a full high budget movie. I believe, only if we think that way, we can generate the interest of young people for our sport.

C7: Will freestyle and wave windsurfing be mixed or will the wavepart dominate?

Andre: We have more wave riders and we will travel to more wave spots. But we try to have a good balance for freestyle, jumping and riding. Gollito is a good friend and is one of the most creative persons in windsurfing. For sure he will get a sick part.

Gollito in front of the camera in Klitmoller

C7: Making a new movie means as well having a lot of pressure. The prerunner “Four Dimensions” was a big success! Now everyone expects even more. This fact creates besides pressure a lot of costs. Did you already find strong partners?

Andre: Nice question. Now we are talking. Haha. Let me say like that. If I would like to get good money with making movies – I would need to change the sport. It is hard to find outside sponsors who are interested in investing money. Even if the numbers and success of the Four Dimensions production was a good base to start negotiations. There are still some companies out there believing in this project. Supporting is Planet Windsurfing, Red Bull and Pousada WindJeri. Also giving support is Fanatic, North, Starboard, JP and NP. Really uncommon this time is that also each rider put in some cash as well. It was actually Marcilio´s idea, because I said to him that we could never reach the final budget if we ourselves not see the movie and the outcome as an investment.
The missing money comes again from me. Quite a risk but I love windsurfing and in the end money should not be the deciding factor on a vision.

C7: Will you work again with the same team of staff?

Andre: We have a few people more on the team. Peter Svensson is actually working for Red Bull since the Four Dimensions DVD. He will be supervisor and overviewing all the process to give the product again a cool and tasteful look. Sebastian Dörr and Andi Jansen will film and edit most. And then we will have some more people on the team in different categories.

Marcilio Browne and Andi Jansen

C7: You are still in a critical physical constitution and the next surgery will follow within the next weeks. Why did you decide to announce a new project already and start working on it now?

Andre: Yes, you right. And I expect a few critical comments coming up. In my situation you can only do things wrong. Maybe in 10 months I am still sick and everybody says: It was the movie. Maybe I don´t do the movie, get depressed, still be sick and everybody will say: You should have done the movie.

I just listen to myself. Windsurfing for me is not a way to get money or to get famous or to get titles from. It is a part which follows me for 22 years already. For the last 10 years I was doing it 365 days a year and I enjoyed it so much. Now, right now I can´t travel, can´t windsurf, can´t see my friends and I feel broken. Working since 6 weeks has given me a little piece of my lifestyle back. I am writing this here for you, I am dealing with windsurfing brands, magazines, riders, watching footage all day. It feels nice and gives me motivation to keep on fighting. So – it was the right start. I don’t feel pressure. We have shown what we are capable of and we will show it again.

C7: Do you feel that your body can resist this kind of stress right now?

Andre: We have a bigger team. So we spread the pressure on more bodies. I will not be behind or in front the camera until my body and my doctors say “you are ready, you are healthy”. Till that point I´ll trust my team and work from home or hospital.

C7: Did you tell your doctors about your movie project?

Andre: I did not, but I think they would like it. Four Dimensions was a big hit in my hospital. Being sick does not mean to sit in bed and think of cancer and if you survive or die in 4 months time. Being sick means to me, to think of your body, lifestyle, past and future. But also to keep doing things you always liked to do. If you don´t, you are fast in a deep, black hole were you can just get out slow and weak.

C7: Will you be more behind the camera or do you plan to show up in front as well?

Andre: Sure, I will film a bit once I am healthy. And sure I will say some words. But I don´t like to produce a film about myself. Feels a bit wrong. Like running behind the fame.

C7: Did you change your view on the sport of windsurfing since you had to stop to compete and to be on the water and will this influence your movie?

Yes a lot. I have realised that after finishing school I have picked exactly the right way and did most things right. As I said, I wish I had looked around a bit more but as soon as I start again I will do that. I expect myself sooner or later back in the game. Will be hard, because my body took some serious damage and needs time to recover but the other day I´ve read the book of Lance Armstrong and it taught me: nothing is impossible!!!

Thanks for the interview!

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©Interview Continentseven 2010