If you’re the type who daydreams about packing your bags and moving overseas to live a simple yet rich life immersed in another culture, where you’re on a first-name basis with your grocer and head to the square each night to play backgammon, then please, do read on.
This week’s guests in our Burning Questions series are Marli and Reuben: Australian filmmakers who run Roulette Studios together. Last year, following an urge to shake up their artistic lives, the couple moved to Mataró, a seaside town in Catalonia, Spain. We chat with the pair about the big move, prioritising time for creative pursuits, what makes the best beer snack, and the therapeutic benefits of throwing on some tunes and cooking your favourite meal.
INTERVIEW
You’re an Australian couple who work together as filmmakers in Spain. What inspired the move?
Marli and Reuben: We were seeking an immersive experience that gave us time to better understand a place and its people. We also wanted a creative change of pace in our lives, which is financially easier to achieve in Spain. We're in our early 30s, and it seemed like now or never. Why wait until retirement?
Marli and Reuben: We were seeking an immersive experience that gave us time to better understand a place and its people. We also wanted a creative change of pace in our lives, which is financially easier to achieve in Spain. We're in our early 30s, and it seemed like now or never. Why wait until retirement?
What does a typical day look like for you?
Marli: In the mornings, I like to run along the beach, while Reuben enjoys reading with a coffee at home. We often meet up for breakfast at our favourite tortilla spot, Bar Tur. In our home office, Reuben works away in the edit suite while I develop new video concepts for our clients and plan upcoming shoots. At the end of the day, we love taking a cold shower on the terrace, followed by an even colder beer and a game of backgammon at Plaza Gran.
Marli: In the mornings, I like to run along the beach, while Reuben enjoys reading with a coffee at home. We often meet up for breakfast at our favourite tortilla spot, Bar Tur. In our home office, Reuben works away in the edit suite while I develop new video concepts for our clients and plan upcoming shoots. At the end of the day, we love taking a cold shower on the terrace, followed by an even colder beer and a game of backgammon at Plaza Gran.
You made a beautiful film for Nonna’s about the art of making a Spanish tortilla. Take us behind the scenes of what looked to be a really special day.
Reuben: The family captured are Marli's relatives who are some of the most generous people we know. They do not speak a word of English, and our Spanish is still a ‘work in progress’. So you can only imagine what it was like directing a group of 15+ people without a common language. What we captured was raw, chaotic and beautiful, all at once.
In what ways has living in Spain altered your perspective?
Marli and Reuben: Older members of society are valued here in Spain, and their quality of life is noticeably better. Our elders shouldn't be ignored and forgotten because they deserve to be heard — we might even learn something by listening to them! Our second key takeaway is that it's important to prioritise time for creative pursuits because it helps us to be more present and engaged in our lives and the people around us.
Marli and Reuben: Older members of society are valued here in Spain, and their quality of life is noticeably better. Our elders shouldn't be ignored and forgotten because they deserve to be heard — we might even learn something by listening to them! Our second key takeaway is that it's important to prioritise time for creative pursuits because it helps us to be more present and engaged in our lives and the people around us.
Describe a memorable meal or food experience you’ve had in Spain?
Marli: My uncle is an amazing cook. We love eating his sardines, which he cooks over coals on his terrace. Smoked sardines with lemon and salt are probably the best beer snack you can find.
Marli: My uncle is an amazing cook. We love eating his sardines, which he cooks over coals on his terrace. Smoked sardines with lemon and salt are probably the best beer snack you can find.
Where do you source local food from? Do you have a favourite grocer?
Reuben: In Mataró, the fruit and veggie markets are only open on Saturday mornings. We’ve become quite chummy with our local grocer, Pepé, who also runs a farm on the outskirts of town. We love cycling to his property to buy our produce that he has harvested that very same day. We’re so fortunate to have a warm relationship with the very person who grows the food that nourishes us — it’s honestly one of the highlights of living in Mataró.
Reuben: In Mataró, the fruit and veggie markets are only open on Saturday mornings. We’ve become quite chummy with our local grocer, Pepé, who also runs a farm on the outskirts of town. We love cycling to his property to buy our produce that he has harvested that very same day. We’re so fortunate to have a warm relationship with the very person who grows the food that nourishes us — it’s honestly one of the highlights of living in Mataró.
What’s your philosophy in the kitchen?
Marli and Reuben: We like to think of the kitchen as a place of self-care and reflection. Simple meals are often the most delicious, which is why we turn to them in times of stress or exhaustion. There’s something very therapeutic about playing music and cooking our favourite puttanesca.
Marli and Reuben: We like to think of the kitchen as a place of self-care and reflection. Simple meals are often the most delicious, which is why we turn to them in times of stress or exhaustion. There’s something very therapeutic about playing music and cooking our favourite puttanesca.
What have you been listening to?
Reuben: I’ve been listening to Ian Kim Judd’s ‘Fifth World’ radio show on NTS, which is an amazing collection of ambient, downtempo and textural sounds.
Reuben: I’ve been listening to Ian Kim Judd’s ‘Fifth World’ radio show on NTS, which is an amazing collection of ambient, downtempo and textural sounds.
Marli: I've been hooked on the Blindboy Podcast, hosted by a neurodivergent Irish artist and author. His episodes blend history, short fiction, comedy, and folklore, with a deep appreciation for Australian Indigenous storytelling that resonates with me. His stories have an indescribable calming effect.