Sobremesa con Ale Vidal

Videographer and photographer Ale Vidal

CB: What did you think when I approached you with this new project? 

When you first approached me about this project, I immediately began having visions of an experience I had in Merida, Mexico. I stayed in a boutique hotel where each touch point engaged and completely delighted my senses and I knew this is what Casa Brava would be one day. In other words, I couldn’t wait to create for this. I was intrigued, inspired, and felt so deeply connected to a project that allowed me to bring in my Latin culture. 

CB: Tell me about your process and what your goal is when working with a brand. 

First, it typically begins with a client wanting something that at times feels intangible - a feeling, an experience, an emotion - that someone deeply desires to make tangible. I want to transport viewers not to the literal space, but to how that space makes you feel if (or when) you are in it. Or how that product could smell, taste, and feel, even if it isn’t in your hands. Then I begin sketching my ideas inspired by those specific emotions that I want the viewer to experience. 

So when I began creating for Casa Brava, a significant theme was to invite stillness; to indulge and be surrounded in beauty. Victoria mentioned how a bath embodies that intimate space for a woman to let go of the day and treat themselves. We began brainstorming details that invite that feeling: a book, incense, bath salts, etc. The aesthetic and authenticity of what those details look like is essential because they represent the taste and style of a person so I am very intentional with who I bring on as a stylist. Then my next step is directing and capturing the motion (video) that transports: the fluttering pages, the dancing smoke of incense, bath salts cascading, and the gentle waves of water in a filled tub. These are all moments of invitation. This allows me to take abstract ideas and translate them into a tangible experience and emotion.

CB: What do you feel is the most important part of your work? 

The most important part of my work is that it triggers an emotion in you, the viewer, and more importantly, that you feel seen. That I’ve been able to identify something so nuanced and meaningful that resonates so much with you. And you realize — you’re not alone for thinking that way, for creating that way, or dreaming that way.

CB: What do you hope to achieve when you complete a project? 

To transport the viewer. To soften hearts. To invite stillness.

CB: Can you share how your background impacts your work?

Something a lot of people don’t know about me is that my parents are immigrants from Latin America (Honduras and Uruguay), but growing up I didn’t look like my Latin friends. I was born with blonde hair and fair skin, while learning English through books and school. I never quite felt like I fit in anywhere. I didn’t feel Latina enough because of my hair and skin color, but I also didn’t feel American enough because I was going home to a very culturally different experience. We had sobremesa, telenovelas, arroz con platanos, and Sabado Gigante. 

I hated standing out and I was incredibly sensitive. But I grew up with very strong, Latina women who weren’t afraid of standing out. No mattered how much I tried to blend in, it wasn’t my truth. When I finally embraced this, I began to love what made me complex. Being complex is interesting, intriguing, and meaningful. Sometimes it is also painful. We are all complex humans — this is a beautiful thing. It wasn’t until I began my career in film and video that I finally embraced my sensitivity. I realized it is a gift to feel so deeply and to be a vessel of emotion for these complex stories. That what makes you different is actually the best part. I know what it’s like to feel misunderstood but I also know what it’s like to feel seen. I want my work to celebrate what makes someone stand apart, and most of all, to (finally) feel seen. 

CB: What’s your dream project?

My dream project would be to create a film (short or long) that would be showcased in a museum (or space) as an interactive experience. To collaborate with visionaries and create an experience you can engage with all of your senses. I dream of students or attendees walking through a curated space (museum or at a retreat) where each room tells a story through smells, textures, and my video clips. Emotionally, physically, and spiritually immersed in the story.

CB: Who are your influences, muses? What inspires you most?

My greatest inspiration comes from channeling themes of childhood: curiosity, things that feel other worldly, and beauty in the unexpected. I think this is why I gravitate so much to emotion. When you’re a child, you don’t necessarily think logically when you experience something - your emotions are heightened, there’s no facade, and you explore the world with your entire body. I try to come back to this place often; to be in awe of the ordinary and quiet the logic - the doubt. I am also deeply inspired by dance and why I work with dancers so often. I want to convey the story through movement in the body that doesn’t always rely on words or dialogue.

CB: What is your favorite meal to linger over for a sobremesa?

Growing up, sobremesa was always cafe y pan dulce (pastries), typically after breakfast. I still associate the smell of coffee as a moment to pause and in a way, break bread with those that I love. So I’d have to say the meal I’d linger over is a breakfast that involves friend plantains and beans with a Honduran cream drizzled over the top. This instantly brings me back to a slow morning with my family, loud laughter with my tias, and warm pastries dipped in cafe con leche.