I was sitting in a coffee bar in San José, Costa Rica, working on my laptop like any other day. I had no idea that a stranger was about to walk in and change the trajectory of my entire year.
The Coffee Bar That Started It All
The casting director noticed me before I noticed her. She approached my table, introduced herself, and said something I didn't expect: "You are exactly the type of person I've been looking for." She was casting for a new feature film and needed someone with a Western European look. I fit the profile.
When I told her I was actually a professional actor with twenty years of experience in theater, television, and film — she couldn't believe it. What she thought was a lucky find in a coffee shop turned out to be something much more. She invited me to audition on the spot.
Bye Bye Paraíso
The film is called Bye Bye Paraíso, directed by Kim Elizondo — a true artist with a vision so clear and so powerful that I fell in love with the project from the very first reading. Kim's direction is the kind that makes you forget you're acting. It pulls something real out of you, something raw and honest. Working with her was one of the most transformative creative experiences of my life.
After three years away from acting, stepping back on set felt absolutely refreshing. And I was honored to share the screen with the incredibly talented María Luisa Garita Ramírez, who plays the main character. Her presence is magnetic — the kind of performer who lifts everyone around her. Playing alongside such an amazing talent reminded me of everything I had missed, and made the return to acting feel like coming home.
We all connected instantly — not just as director and actors, but as artists who share the same language. Kim and I fell in love with each other's creative vision and decided to keep working together beyond this project.
From Actor to Photographer — On the Same Set
Something happened during filming that I didn't plan. I was so deeply moved by the story, so connected to the crew, that I couldn't just walk away when my scenes were done. I proposed to the production team that I stay on set as a behind-the-scenes photographer.
They said yes — and it turned into something beautiful. I spent many extra days on set, capturing the crew in those intimate, unguarded moments that audiences never see. The focus between takes. The laughter during setup. The quiet intensity of Kim directing a scene. The kind of moments that make a film set feel like a family.
The Unique Advantage
Being both a professional actor and a professional photographer on the same production gave me something rare. I understood the set from the inside. I knew when not to interrupt, where to stand without being in the way, and — most importantly — I could feel when a genuine moment was happening before it was visible to anyone else.
The crew was genuinely happy to have me there. It's not often that someone on a film set can move between both worlds — performing in front of the camera one day, and documenting the magic behind it the next.
Málaga — March 10, 2026
Bye Bye Paraíso will have its worldwide premiere at the Málaga Film Festival on March 10, 2026. It's one of the most important film festivals for Spanish-language cinema, and seeing this film on that stage will be an incredibly emotional moment for everyone involved.
My photography from the set is now being used for the film's marketing campaign — the posters, the social media, the press materials. Every image carries a piece of that experience, and knowing that my work helps share this story with the world fills me with enormous pride.
More Than a Role
This project was never just a role for me. It was a reminder of why I do what I do — why I spent twenty years on stage, why I picked up a camera, and why storytelling in all its forms is the only thing that truly makes me feel alive. Being part of Kim Elizondo's creative team, both as an actor and as a visual storyteller, is one of the greatest honors of my career.
Sometimes the most extraordinary chapters of your life begin in the most ordinary places. Mine began in a coffee bar in Costa Rica.
Krzysztof Piatkowski
Visual Storyteller — Luxuriance Studio
