Finally!
Amidst report writing, code debugging, working (or pretending to anyways) and approximately 10 hours of sleep in 2 days, the first day of the festival arrived. By the way, Wednesday does not count. Not only was the exam postponed for Friday, but I completely forgot that the very first (technically) night, the premiere is held at a different venue than the festival cinemas (usually it is the Athens College Theatre) and it is mainly a press event (the selected premiere is always shown again during the festival).
When I arrived at the Attikon cinema, the 1st disappointment of the night manifested itself in the form of a small notice: the see-all tickets were out! In fact it is a see-20 ticket, and it is of no general importance, since you still have to go get yourself a zero value ticket. On the other hand it does have fetish value; it is like a badge of honors for the festival (some even carry it around their neck to be cool of sorts). If I find my last year’s one, I ‘ll take a picture of it and post it.
Second disappointment was the queue, not because it was large, but because it was small! Usually I always find it with 50 people or more (a snake of people covering half of the cinema block), but this time thanks to the rain and the busses strike it was rather smallish and relaxed.
Anyways, after a good meal at nearby Goody’s and a turkish coffee at Orfeas (in the typically urban and delightful Pesmatzoglou Arcade), I went to Attikon to watch my first movie for this year’s AIFF. In Stephanie Daley, a teenager has a stillborn, and is examined by a pregrnant psychiatrist (who had a miscarriage a year earlier, you can see where this is going at...) to see if she is fit for trial. Good performances from both heroines (especially Tilda Swinton), who essentially share the same character, one completing the other not only in their dialogues but also in their actions. Don’t expect anything too exciting or dramatic about this movie; it’s countryside paced and rather calm and subtly scary, only to shock you when Stephanie delivers her baby in a restaurant toilette on a ski resort. It’s exclusive emphasis is on the 2 women rather than any other aspect of the film (sure you get the occasional hint of America’s obsession with God or suburban teenage angst, or some good shots and definite sigsn of cat obsession), making it too obvious at times, with the end result being something like a portrait of two faces, one mirroring the other in ways that are not always obvious. All in all a good film, sensitive and realistic in many ways, but naïve in many others, with good performances, albeit leaving you with an itch for closure.
Perhaps not the most promising start for the festival, with my suspicions already in height. Two specials (queer cinema and Sturges) which at least at first glance don’t interest me much, leave little breathing space as far as selecting movies are concerned. But I don’t really mind. It felt really good to be back; Attikon was shinny as always, its little chandelier dome never failing to impress me and the espresso at the mini foyer was again perfect.
What I really enjoyed the most however coming back to the festival were the faces. It happens very often with me in crowds to think that I see familiar faces (I always find my brain playing tricks with me) but the festival is always a place I know I will see people I have only seen at the festival the previous years, people I have never talked to, but people who share the same feelings I do for the festival. It is almost like a band of brothers (ok it is not…J), like the blonde sitting 2 aisles in front of me with her right dark brown All Star while her left was in the colour of olive oil and her stylish red glasses, or the tall dude always showing up at thrillers, laughing when someone dies in the movie, or the chubby shaven hair middle age guy always opting for the side aisles (me thinks he is a critique for Ta Nea, not sure). In a strange way, it is reassuring that you not the only one with the intent of watching 30 or more movies at the festival. Anyways, more on that on future posts.
Coming back to the queer special, the 2nd movie (to my surprise) was part of it. Go Fish is apparently the first lesbian movie, made by lesbians for lesbians. I will admit that the evil schedule pamphlet misguided (once again…) into making me think I was gone watch an edgy modern film regarding friendship and lesbian sex, and yes, I was expecting something more colorful (the movie was in black&white) and … more attractive lesbians (foolish me!). Needless to say that minutes before the show I felt like the fly in the milk (greek expression). Still, not a bad movie, not at all. Think lesbian Sex & The City, make it a bit more serious (but only a bit), add comfy jazz soundtrack and a lot of Max (Camille) meets Ely and you get Go Fish.
I used to say that stupid joke ‘I am a lesbian trapped in a man’s body’, but after watching Go Fish and seeing so many lesbians together in one place for the 1st time, made me realize, that at least here in Greece (but I guess in the rest of the world as well) the topic as well as the people themselves are seriously tabooed, much more than I used to think. The fact that the person introducing the film was talking about a ‘lesbian scene’ made me realize how ‘ghettoed’ some groups exist (and feel) within a fast movie society like that of Athens, and no matter how hip or city-wise we may think we are, we can always find ourselves behind, when it comes to understanding, accepting and respecting people. I mean I wouldn’t have found much interest in seeing the film had I known it was lesbian exclusive, but thankfully I did watch it, and I enjoyed it a lot. Also, after a doing a bit of research, I found out that I have seen Guinevere Turner (Max in Go Fish, her 1st film) in her 2nd film (again seen at the AIFF a few good years ago), the very good Chasing Amy (with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and little Casey Affleck, how sweet!).
After seeing Go Fish and facing my social inadequacies and prejudices (only for a few minutes, that is how much I can bear to ponder over such serious issues) I rushed to Apollon to see my last movie for the night. I was a little bit suspicious, a bit worried and anxious for the next days of the festival and I was looking forward to this one for I thought I would get my fix of gore for the night. Alas! The magical and evil pamphlet was up to its usual tricks! Disappointment struck hard. Black Kiss started off beautifully (sexy leather pantyhose woman cuts bed strapped dude’s chest open while he is still alive, classic) only to have my eyebrows raised when the opening credits rolled (10 minutes into the movie). They were in English (!), making me think that exporting was a priority for this one, and also reminding of good old voice dubbed (oh my grandchildren will never believe me!!!) Hong Kong VHS movies from the 80’s. The movie went on for almost two hours, incoherent, dull and pointless, supposed to merge a good detective story and gothic elements together but instead is completely lacking in style (a complete shocker for a Japanese film), but interesting and self-sarcastic and even funny at points. It was like a Japanese version of Scary Movie but obviously better (that’s easy!). What it lacks in pace, it also lacks in tension and photography (only a few frames being of interest and Reika Hashimoto one of the very few reasons for keeping my eyes on the screen simply because she is stunning). Rubbish script and only the last 5 minutes of the movie being genuinely entertaining. Still good enough for a pizza and a beer (beats Mission Impossible 3 any day!).
Well, it’s only the 1st day, and although I am not feeling tired, I know I will be in the next few days. I wish I could leave this post to go to sleep, but I have a couple of reports that need to be finished! Back again tomorrow (hopefully)!
Didn’t like:
- The Connex ads before each film. One of the small details of the festival has always been the movies starting straight away once the lights are down. Stir away the Connex marketing people and bring the Assos cigarettes girls back now!!! We need our smokes, not those stupid ads!!
- The small spinach pies in the Attikon foyer. As much as I love you guys, spinach pie is not your specialty. Get us a cake or something.
- The songs in my Chinese mp3 player (screw iPod). Almost every year my AIFF experience is stigmatized by a song or an album (last year it was BRMC’s amazing Howl). Although at first glance I had a good variety (Dummy and Portishead, Puressence, a Depeche Mode compilation, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sonic Nurse from Sonic Youth) it soon became apparent that I seriously needed a new playlist, ideally with a few good new songs.
- The attendance. Given that the see-20 tickets were sold out, I thought screenings would be jammed. I guess more people went to Fabulous! and Unchain (the introducers to the Queer and Toshiaki Toyoda specials respectively).
Liked:
- (almost) Everything else! The festival is back and it rocks!!
- The salad at Goody’s (J).
Blackberry award for the night:
Definitely Black Kiss. Rubbish (in a good sense), but still ‘watchable’, but also a great disappointment with regards to the genre; just thinking that a few days ago in my ‘Give me blood’ post I assured myself that asian filmography cannot fail me, makes me angy.
Best movie of the night:
Suprisingly, Go Fish wins it. I guess being the first of its kind, made it a bit special for me.
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