Instagram | @jacksonjarvis_dp
It was a true privilege to work as Cinematographer for Sons of Mezcal. What an incredible place, and what incredible people. It’s always an interesting challenge, sorting out the approach for shooting a documentary. Sometimes, it’s appropriate to script everything and guide the story where you want it to go. But in our case, I wanted the cinematography to be patient, spontaneous, and respectful. So we used the camera as a mirror—a no-frills reflection of life as a mezcalero. I found myself listening as much as looking, since often the sounds of the process were as fascinating as the visuals. Not much of what we shot was planned, and the magic was often in the quiet moments: an exchange of looks, the grasp of a hand, sunlight dancing in the dust. After all, the mezcaleros of the film are quiet and observational people. It only felt right to make the camera feel the same.
