Intimes Tagebuch (2003) (TV)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Pedro Usabiaga

Writer:

Pedro Usabiaga (writer)

Release Date:

26 June 2003 (Germany)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot Keywords:

Male Model | Male Nudity | Photographer | Nude Model | Homoeroticism

Cast

Joseba Barandiaran	...	Himself
Alberto Carrillo	...	Himself
Carlos de Torre	...	Himself
Fredy Gil	...	Himself
Jon González	...	Himself
Aritz Iriarte	...	Himself
Arturo Martin	...	Himself
Katee McFee	...	Herself
Aurelio Medina	...	Himself
Alex Pipaón	...	Himself
Iran Peirén	...	Himself
Gorka Puertas	...	Himself
Lucio Román	...	Himself
Unai Uranga	...	Himself
Josu Uribe	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Private Diary (UK)

Runtime:

Germany:65 min | UK:56 min

Country:

France | Germany | Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Black and White | Color

Company:

Sagrera TV

Artist and Model

Pedro Usabiaga is a well-established Basque photographer whose chief concerns are figurative photography and whose passion in photographing the Spanish male. In this hour long conversation with the artist we are given entry into that process of selecting models (none of the models he uses for this book to be titled 'Private Diary' are professional, but instead are randomly chosen as Usabiaga observes athletes in action) and then allowed to follow Usabiaga and his crew as they photograph these men in natural settings and natural light.

The models are splendidly handsome young Spaniards - surfers, horsemen, swimmers, beach kite fliers, woodchoppers, rope climbers, runners - whose collective body fat is probably close to 0%! These are not body builders but instead are perfectly sculpted male forms who are open to the photographer's ideas and willing to go places professional models might question.

There is nothing at all traditionally erotic about these pictures we watch developing: there is no complete nudity, the focus of the camera is on the muscles at work and the faces of these inordinately handsome young men. The result is a casual conversational approach to the art of photographing the figure and the results are very fine indeed.

Usabiaga narrates in voice-over and his words are quite poetic. Coupled with a background of Bach, Beethoven, and some contemporary composers the overall effect is artistic and therefore sensual in the finest sense of the term. Yes, there is bountiful eye candy here, but there is also a richly detailed account of the relationship between artist and model offered in a finely tuned manner. And Spain never looked so beautiful! Grady Harp