Hello everyone, this week we would like to introduce you to Juan Paredes & Tomas Reyes, Co-directors of the upcoming film Blood, Berries or Butter. Juan, the film’s producer, sat down to answer “The 10.”
1. Why did you start your company or begin down the path that you did?
Tomás and I were coming from two different places when we started with Blood, Berries or Butter.
I (Juan) had just come off three and a half years of producing Apaporis a documentary that retraced the steps of Richard Evans Schultes the father of ethnobotany, who spent over 12 years learning from the tribes of the Amazon about medicinal and psychotropic plants. The documentary was eye opening in terms of what I saw of the effects nutrition and environment can have and the awesome knowledge of the indigenous people about plants, but it was also a grueling and frustrating process of raising money through government and foundation grants (the traditional process), a lot of great opportunities were missed of people we could have interviewed and places we could have visited because it took so long. So, when I found I was spending hours online reading about biohacking, the art of controlling your nervous system through food, nutrition and neurological training – I began going deep down that rabbit hole – I knew this had to be my next project and I went all in.
Tomás was coming from the nutrition and mindfulness angle, he was fascinated by the different diets being proposed – raw, vegan, pale, chronobiotic – and the idea of movement and mindfulness and was doing research on his own.
We had a conversation early this year and realized that the best way to explore and share this information was doing a documentary that allowed for different views to be expressed, taught and proposed. Also, we were adamant that the focus should be to show us the potential of what is possible with our bodies and how to reach this higher level of wellness and performance and not to show how bad the food system is. We started this project out of passion and curiosity and we wanted to do something positive that had the potential of changing people's life.
2. What have you discovered about yourself in the past year?
I have discovered the power our environment and what we eat have on us. I am much more aware now about the effect being in nature or by the ocean has on me. How I think, what I think about.
Also, food and supplementation, what you have in the morning can take your day in very different directions.
3. What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is hearing the amazing people we interview talk. They are walking their talk and you learn so much from their stories, the research and experimentation they've done. It is inspiring, uplifting. I wouldn't change it for anything. You see…
Our interviews are much longer than normal and we get a chance to dwell deep into character's story and knowledge as we are not looking for a sexy soundbite that fits an agenda but have a genuine hunger to learn from who we interview.
4. What is your least favorite part of the job?
It is incredibly hard coming to forks on the road where you are literally penniless and don't know where your next meal will come from. One time I waited in a hostel in Inglewood for a week for a check to clear and basically ate only the free breakfast they offered. Those situations stop being romantic very quickly. You just know that you need to make the best project possible and that getting an interview with the best people you can get trumps all other considerations until you are done.
5. What is your favorite food (that isn't one of your products)?
I love coffee, not sure if that is a food. If it isn't, I would go for eel or sea urchin in sushi. Quality is super important though. The best sushi I've eaten was in New York city. It tasted like heaven.
6. If you could do any other job what would you do?
My favorite book is Investigations into Chinese Philosophy by David Nivison; If I could start my life over I would have loved to be the kind of person who can do that type of work. I am obsessed about learning new things and footnotes.
The other thing… I would love to be a kitesurfing instructor.
7. What is your least favorite word?
No.
8. If you could meet anyone in the world alive today, who would you meet?
Shai Agassi. His Stanford Entrepreneurial corner talk is amazing.
9. What would you do on a dream vacation?
I love the Ocean. My dream is to be able to spend three months in a place like La Ventana, Baja California, Mexico, kitesurfing four hours a day and spending time barbecuing at night and looking at the stars. I sold my kite gear to finance this project, I haven't had a vacation in so long that I think three months would be about the time it would take to put me current on that.
10. What is your hope for the future of food and/or health?
I want people to be informed and empowered and that they are able to live a happy, healthy life.
WHY THESE GUYS? What are they up to that is so important?
Now for a little bit on why we are so excited about this film. When we heard what these two were up to we JUMPED on the chance to join in and be heard. After all what is a movie about personal quests for a better, faster and easier way to get in shape and boosting intelligence and overall improved health without MICRONUTRIENTS. Hello? So we are off to film and we need your help at bringing awareness to this project that we are so happy to be apart of. And it isn’t just us. Dave (Bulletproof) Asprey, the Fat Burning Man himself, Abel James, our Primal Publisher Mark Sisson, Mariel Hemingway, and our great friend Jonathon Bailorare all involved experts as well.
This new documentary Blood, Berries or Butter, a full-length feature, brings together opinion leaders from the Paleo, Raw, Vegan and Biohacking communities to the same screen to discuss current challenges, controversies and solutions to nutrition and fitness.
Launching a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to complete the film, award-winning filmmakers Juan Paredes and Tomas Reyes shine a spotlight in the areas of nutrition, fitness, personalized medicine, anti-aging and beauty.
These guys traveled for 9 months interviewing the most influential personalities redefining health to share these important discoveries with you. And they need some support getting the film to be its absolute best. They have only 21 days left to reach their KICKSTARTER goals. Check out the film here for sure and help support in any way that you can small or large. We can’t wait for you to watch the sizzle reel.. and then to see us in it on the big screen soon!
