Here’s my reflection on that.
It’s kind of a long story. And you might not want to read it all, but if you do – here you go.
As I’m writing this I’m sitting in a sofa, completely mentally socially worn out (hey fellow introverts, I see you) after three days of socializing. Yet, this is just the beginning.
But let me take you back to the start.
I’m traveling here with my girlfriend Mira who I have had the opportunity to enjoy living and being with for the last almost 6 years (and her brother Max and his partner Marion).
Just months before we met, in 2020, her dad passed away. He was from India and one of his wishes was to have his ashes spread in India.
Right there and then covid was burning hot and there wasn’t really any opportunity to go and do it, and since then it has always lingered in the back of our minds that this trip is coming up. And last summer we finally committed and bought the tickets for it.
Since then a lot of things happened. And their mother, who had been ill for a long time also passed away a couple of days before Christmas.
So on Wednesday this week Mira and I traveled here. Bizarrely, with her parents ashes in two boxes in the carry-on. It was a bit strange, but at every security check encounter we were met with a lot of sympathy.
We’ve now spent three days in Bangalore with their aunt Cookie, who would win the olympic gold medal for hospitality if there was one. We’ve been exploring Bangalore a bit by foot, we’ve been to a puppet show, a Charlie Chaplin movie at the “club” followed by today, where we experienced a theatre show called Amadeus.
So, now I’m exhausted.
The big question right now is, will there be a film from this trip? The answer is not black and white.
While I have been doing some filming, but I’m not sure yet. That is not the main purpose of the trip.
But my eyes are, by default, always on the lookout, connecting story points and narratives into what could turn into something. And there are stories here. So many.
The next big thing coming up is the immersion ceremony for Zal and Britt-Inger. It will be done in Coorg, which is south west from Bangalore, in a few days time.
The family has some land there. And this is where my first story point presents itself.
This land has been inherited down for many many generations, and now Mira and Max now owns parts of it. This land is raw, untouched pristine forest that hasn’t been used by humans, ever. Sometimes tigers casually pass through it.
And this type of forest is super rare.
Cookie, who owns I don’t know exactly how much of it, has been a hero in this and found this research organisation (NCBS) who does all types of work on ecology, ecosystems, biodiversity and things like that. And since a few years they’ve rented the land to this organisation for 99 years, almost for free.
This ensures the land will remain untouched, and put to good use for science.
That is the second story point.
Today we had the opportunity to meet some of the people who run this rather large organisation, and it was incredible to see how grateful they are. This is now one out of 5 main plots of land where they’re able to collect data for research over a very long period of time.
I think there is a reason for me joining in on this trip. And I think there is a story that will reveal itself here. I will film as much as I can. And then we’ll see.
That’s the beauty of this work sometimes. To just challenge myself to keep an open mind and let whatever happens happen.
And still, without going into this all-in-filmmaker-mode where I don’t experience anything because I only stare at the camera. This has happened before. And it’s hard to keep the balance… Because once I start filming, it’s hard to view the world through any other lens than the camera’s.
But for this trip, it’s important to actually experience the thing. To feel it. To be present.
What will come out in the end?
I don’t know.
But as my middle school teacher said: “You either love it or hate it, but it won’t leave you untouched. You will come back changed.”
And already after three days, I believe that 100%
To be continued.
//Robin
Originally published on Substack on 7 March 2026. Subscribe there to get new posts by email.