Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY AUG 16 2022

A11
LOCAL Tuesday 16 augusT 2022
Germille Geerman,
From audiovisual production to local artisanal pizza specialist

Germille Geerman (34) is inspired Germille to enter am calm now, I don’t need der to keep his story alive, value of local art and ag-
a storyteller. His inspiration media. In his adolescence it anymore”, he says. and at the same time con- riculture, tangible heritage
is Juan Chikito, who ever he felt that television or au- tribute to awareness for the of Aruba.
since he was a child would diovisual media was the But the spirit of Juan Grandi
tell him stories of his great- way. Germille was barely is strong within him, and it
grandfather, Lucas Wilfrido 15 when, after asking for didn’t take long for Ger-
Werleman, known by the a long time, he got a call mille, despite his wounds,
family as Juan Grandi, a re- from (TV channel) ATV for to rise again and recreate
nowned figure in Aruba. the airing of boxing. His himself. Even though the
work was to move cables, reality of life was still weigh-
Germille grew up with his but Germille accepted it ing on his wallet and emo-
maternal and paternal gladly. With airing of world tions, Germille kept pushing
grandparents, but it was soccer, Germille entered forward.
Juan Chikito who painted the studio, which helped
the image of a family with him get closer to his goal to He found a medium of ex-
13 kids in Angochi, who learn to dominate audio vi- pression in art, collaborat-
lived by planting corn in sual media. ing with Atelier ’89. And his
fields that nowadays are It was while he was working collaboration with Tito Bo-
the sports fields of Sport- with Star Vision, which later livar, for the first Aruba Art
boys and Caravel. Now, became Canal 22, when Fair, formed another point
Germille is a local entre- Germille learned more, un- of development for Germi-
preneur who uses his artis- der the guidance of Pedro lle, wince he met big artists
tic and communications Gomez and others who from abroad and recog-
talents to share part of his came from TeleAruba. nized their passion to tell
own history with locals and social realities through art,
tourists, and at the same So it was a painful hit when in this case, through murals.
time supports initiatives to the channel shut down and This was also the time he
promote local agriculture. suddenly Germille was out took on the nickname ‘El
Recently, Geerman orga- of a job, but worse yet, he Mustachi te Ama’ (the
nized a meeting at Oasis didn’t have media to com- mustache loves you). “I
Farm to celebrate farmer municate in Aruba. Howev- had a mustache and those
Ruthsel Emer and to give er, he didn’t stay at home who came to Aruba would
him support to continue for long. Aside from (night) call me by it”. But as usual,
pushing with a project that school, he went back into there is rejection locally,
according to Germille, is production with Tessa Piet- and so “I decided to add
the direction in which Aru- ersz and Trend Alert. How- ‘loves you’ behind the nick-
ba needs to go in order to ever, he realized that there name.”
be sustainable – urban ag- had been no innovation in In other words, to change
riculture. technology. So he decided the negative to positive.
to take out a loan and in- And that energy translated
Germille realized from a vest in cameras and com- in art pieces including his
young age that he need- puter for the new era of unique vegetarian pizzas,
ed to tell the story of Juan recording, digital. What the made from the same ingre-
Grandi, and his own life is young entrepreneur was dient which supported the
a trajectory to arrive to this not prepared for however Werleman family in Ango-
goal. And as it is beautiful was that while clients want- chi for many years, maishi
about a story, sometimes ed quality, they were not rabo (corn), yambo (okra),
the chapters write them- ready to pay for it. And his concomber chikito (small
selves. lack of experience left him cucumber). Germille called
accepting jobs for less than his pizzeria Itza Pizza after
Juan Grandi was an elec- he was worth. his daughter, and now he
trician and his job was at tells Aruba’s history in cre-
Lago (old refinery) thanks Consequently, the finan- ations which are winning
to the fact that he learned cial reality came knocking over tourists and locals,
to speak English during at his door, and Germille’s who are willing to pay for a
a stint working in Cuba story became one of a very unique product. The entre-
to support his family. He disappointed, depressed preneur learned his lesson.
couldn’t read nor write, but young man, left with debt
even so, he had a great in- that he is still paying off. But more than a product
fluence. Juan Grandi put He fell into a deep depres- to be sold, the ingredients
a lot of value in family and sion, with a lot of anxiety. in his pizza are homage to
the development of Ango- Germille tried to soothe the what Aruba can produce
chi and the neighborhood, pain he was feeling with and the work of his great-
and even became ele- cigarettes and alcohol, but grandfather who invested
mental for politics in Aruba. finally realized that what a lot of time in the culture
Juan Grandi was the first in would calm him down and and progress of Aruba.
his neighborhood to have help him function was can- His great-grandson, who
a car, and he procured the nabis. “Cannabis removed now took on the nickname
first filming project in Aruba. my anxiety and allowed ‘Johnny Farina’ (in English,
me to function and even Johnny Flour) is investing a
And perhaps it was what help others. And because I lot of energy and time in or-