Ipuina Kontatu reaches its target

Interview with documentary-maker Emily Lobsenz:

1) What has been the response so far to the Ipuina Kontatu project?The response has varied. I started the Kickstarter campaign at the suggestion of a Basque who lives in New York and has been very enthusiastic about the project. He was certain that Basques in the diaspora would join together and jump behind it. So we went for it.

Many Basques did respond, some with enormous generosity. Many close friends of mine, who have never been to the Basque Country, also found out about the campaign and gave openly and generously. They know how passionate I am about the project and that I''ve been working on it without compensation for 4 years now.

Many of them have become attracted to the country and the culture through my passion for it and have either gone to visit, are planning trips there or have gotten involved in Basque culture by other means be it the music, cuisine, history etc. This is all very touching and motivating to me and I don''t want to let those who have pledged their support and confidence down by not reaching our goal.

2) What kind of reaction has there been among Basques in the Basque Country?Basques in the Basque Country have been supportive from the get go. As we''ve started this campaign we''ve got a few donations from them, but mostly moral support and in-kind support. A few radio stations have done brief stories about our efforts, a publicist for the classic Bilbao bars (such as Iruña, Cafe Bilbao) took one of our fliers for a fundraiser we had in NYC on Monday and distributed it in Spanish throughout Bilbao.

There have also been in-kind donations such as from Zuazo Gaston Bodegas, who donated a lot of wine for a fundraiser; a cheese importer donated a large amount of Idiazabal; another wine importer donated a rare magnum of Rioja Gran Reserva and actual characters in the film offered items we could use to motivate people to contribute.

Kirmen Uribe donated his book Meanwhile Take My Hand along with a special meeting over a glass of wine with him and a personal signing of the book: That item will be raffled off amongst Basque contributors to the Kickstarter campaign.

3) What can those who sponsor your film hope to receive?Sponsors of the film receive all sorts of perks, from screenings, invites to private tastings, sneak previews of the film and editorial input, invites to cooking demonstrations and dinners, a DVD copy of the film, credits in the film etc. Also, as the deadline approaches we''ve offered our current backers extra incentives, such as entry in a raffle to win a selection of fine Rioja Alavesa wines and a nice smoked Idiazabal cheese (products which are harder to come by in the US).

What I would hope is most important to those who give, though, is that they are becoming part of a beautiful project, one that is about a singular place and a unique way of life that speaks to our complicated contemporary world in a simple and eternal way.

4) Aside from the perks - what do you hope the documentary will do for the international Basque community?On Monday night at our fundraiser, Alex Raij the owner and head chef at Txikito (another passionate ''outsider'' devoted to the celebration and continuation of Basque culture, who expresses it in the kitchen rather than on the screen) said that the film''s approach did a great job of capturing the spirit of the Basque people - their intensity - and told a story that could really bring joy and a broader perspective to the general public.

She also believes it offers a beautiful gem to the Basque people by virtue of the fact that it''s been conceived of by a non-Basque. I agree with her. The film celebrates something Basques are virulently proud of, in a light shining from a different angle. It''s an innocent film that celebrates an intense reaction to a raw energy that is unique to the Basque Country. In othe words, I don''t have an agenda; I''m not championing my own culture or way of life, I''m not making a film about myself and my experience. Rather, I''m making a film about an alluring gift with which I was blessed in the most genuine style I can devise. So, I do hope its conception is received as a gift by the Basque people.

5) What will happen if it doesn''t get the necessary backing?If we don''t get the necessary backing we lose the funding that has been pledged so far. We''d have to scale back our editing time meaning a rougher final cut.

The soundtrack I''ve planned is also an expense that we won''t be able to afford which is heartbreaking as it could make such an impact creatively and emotively that really sets this film apart. I know we are going to finish the film, but the more funding we have, the more refined and complex the film can be, meaning it will be more successful, reach a wider audience and have a greater impact on people''s knowledge of and appreciation for Basque culture, their history and way of life.