I've just been to Portugal and had the chance to visit the location where I'll be making my next short film '6,000 Happy Endings' (which I won funding for through Ideas Fund Shorts). The film is about people's devotion to a little-known Catholic saint - read more about it here.

The visit was great to help get the creative juices flowing - already picturing shots and possible situations. Had a chat with Julia, the shopkeeper at the shrine (she sells candles, rosaries, religious key-rings...) and she started talking about how the Portuguese are often stuck in their traditions (for better or for worse) and how religion can be a money-making enterprise. She was wearing bright red lipstick and invited me to have dinner at her home. Defenitely going to be interviewing her when we go back!

Also spoke with Eugenia, the 'curator' at the saint's museum - a space that displays all the offerings that the devotees give to the saint - including many, many wedding dresses. She took me on a mini-tour of the musuem and spoke about some of the objects that people had offered and the stories behind them - some very sad stories and some with happy endings. She pointed out that one of the wedding dresses was donated by a husband who's young wife had commited suicide soon after they were married. Then she showed me a fishing rod that a father offered after he prayed to the saint for his son to be cured of an illness. I pictured the father by the sea, waiting for fish and miracles.

Seeing as the film is only 5 mins the hardest part is going to be choosing which characters and stories to focus on... I'm not sure how this will go, but I have to be prepared to let things come about organically - as Errol Morris once said, "If you know exactly what you're going to say before you say it, why bother?".

So I'm back in Portugal in August - just me and my sound man Dave. I'll be using this space to write my thoughts as we go through the filming process and talk some more about the people we meet. I think this will help to further focus my ideas... Before we head off I'll be sourcing our equipment (going to be shooting on DSLR!), sorting out legal stuff, and putting together a list of questions to include in interviews. I'm also reading a great book about the interpersonal/intimate aspects of Catholic religion called "Between Heaven and Earth" and watching loads of shorts - feel free to post any suggestions for good films to watch!