Influencer Giovanni Abath
Interview: April 2021
Could you tell us what has happened since we interviewed you October 2019 with regards to your work as an artist, actor, storyteller and director?
Well in general terms I must say, since we have met in 2019, that we are doing ok. I am alive, I am healthy and I have a job. Furthermore, after we have met, I have also made use of some great opportunities as an artist. I have sold some of my arts works and in the meantime, I have made some new works of art based on the inspirations that I have gotten.
But I have also experienced something very significant for me as an actor. I had an unique opportunity as an actor to act with Doña Rina Penzo, as the main character, in a short movie:
“ La Dama Blanca”, that will be launched soon. It’s premiere has been postponed because of the Covid 19 pandemic twice already. For me this was special and awesome because I had the opportunity to work with one of the greatest actresses of Curacao, Doña Rina Penzo and for me in my career as an actor in Curacao, this was a very special experience.
In September 2020 there was the premiere of the film “Buladó” and I appeared in this film that won a Golden Calf for best movie at the awards ceremony of the fortieth edition of the Netherlands Film Festival (NFF) in Utrecht in October 2020.
I featured as an artist in a tree that was an important element and this tree was a piece of art in itself. The movie was also selected to represent the Netherlands in the International Feature Film category of the Academy Awards and thus joined the race for an Oscar and this film also went to win an award in a festival in New York. Which for me was very important not only as an actor but also as an artist.
On top of this we, that is me and my wife Angelica, are expanding our company. Every single day we are trying to improve, innovate and keep the company going in these times of the pandemic and we are hoping for better times to come. But if I would evaluate the past 1,5 year and choose between if it was “good” or “bad”, I would say it was “good”.
How has the Covid-pandemic affected your business as an artist but also your work as an actor and director?
I would say that if you look at how the pandemic has affected the whole world, how it has affected us, depends greatly how you see the pandemic. I am of the opinion from day one, that moments of crisis, are moments for opportunities. This means that in general terms contrary that a lot of people say: “That Covid has affected us heavily, I am saying that there a lot of opportunities in the situation Covid has created. So you will not find me say like….heh, heh, this Covid pandemic has really hit us very hard and I am saying this that although are two biggest activities of our business that generates our biggest turnovers, namely activities related to the Carnival celebrations and also the New Year’s decorations have affected us a lot ..for me though the fact, that I was unable to earn lots of money doesn’t mean that I am doing bad.
The film “Bulado” which I had a role won prices. Furthermore as I mentioned in my answers on your first question, the premiere of the film was postponed twice because of the pandemic, I also look back at this from the point of view that it was better to postpone instead of launch it during the pandemic anyway, because people wouldn’t attend it easily because of the pandemic. So it was better to postpone. With regards to my art works, art if infinite. If it won’t sell today it will sell tomorrow. Again, it depends on your perspective to look at things. If I have enough work at this moment to pay for my expenses and keep us in a stable position, that for me is enough in times of a pandemic. And I am preparing myself because just like all other pandemics in the past, this one too shall pass. If I would be given life when the pandemic is over, then we will in a position to become rich, let me put it this way.
What are some of the obstacles that you are encountering? And how are you finding ways to overcome these obstacles?
My biggest obstacle at this moment is finances, like almost everyone these days. You have to be creative to lower your costs and make use of every project that comes up to cover my expenses. This is my biggest obstacle. And this is what we are doing, we are lowering our costs, we are becoming more efficient with the materials I use, I re-use lots of materials, and that is what I do and this is the way how we shall overcome this pandemic. And again work and make works of art, prepare myself, so that we can hit the ground running after the pandemic is over.
What are some of the next steps that you are planning to take in the short and long term and how can we as Share2Uplift help in your endeavors via “Connecting, aligning and enabling impactful collaborations”.
In the long and short term our goals are very visionary. We are preparing to open a venue where I, btw my artistic name is “7.1” the numerical version of my name, would show case all my works of art and all of this is already approved. We will start by the end of this month April, to work on the renovation of this venue and this will be combined with a 5-star TOP restaurant. Share2Uplift might help us as we are looking for an operator for the restaurant. You never know maybe via your social media outlets we might find someone who is interested and would like to look at the plan and ideas that we have. This would be operational after we out the Covid pandemic.