The big day!

Today I showed my film. I am always a little scared, because all the other documentaries always seem so complex and complete to me, but it was a great success. The Q&A session at each of the screenings, especially the second one, was very good, and people showed a real interest in the process of the making of Casting, and my own feelings about the film.

The second screening, in a small cinema, was sold out and they used a very interesting way of translating: they lowered the volume of the film and in the back of the room a girl was reading the meaning of what was being said along with the film over the speaker system. She did a terrific job. The film at times is a quick succession of phrases, and I could tell the live-translator was out of breath a few times. After the screening, the first thing that came to mind was to ask the audience for an applause for her.

Great experiences are about the people you meet, and I think this is the warmest and most interesting and hospitable festival I have been at. It is truly terrific, and it makes one want to make a film designed just to be able to return next year, and the year after. I met a well-known Dutch filmmaker called Rob Rombout, who is giving some master classes, and it's his fifth time here! He even made a documentary film about it a few years ago. It's called PermMission.

In fact, I was thinking, it's nice to come to a place like Perm, instead of Moscow or St. Petersburgh. You get the real experience here, people aren't used to visitors and hence aren't trained to tell you what you want to hear. It feels authentic.

Today we were having lunch with eight directors and one of the translators (we have to know what we are eating, obviously) and she suddenly asked: "Are you all professional directors?" I asked what she meant by "professional" and she said: "Do you have a diploma?" (I don't, I have to admit).

It gives one a glimpse of an eroding yet very present notion from the Soviet era: the need to have a stamped paper confirming your status. Although the festival staff (as they always seem to be) are all very young and don't remember the Soviet days, their use of the words "supervisor" and "administrator" (referring to those who decide, or one needs to refer a question to) is very present.

Tomorrow a few of us are going to skip class like little school children and escape to do some shopping. You're thinking: black plastic suits with grey turtle-neck sweaters, but no. The local speciality is silver and gems (and salt, but we have that in Spain). I hope we don't get caught and punished by the administrator and the supervisor.

I also think that tomorrow I will finally be able to post some pictures. For now, I only have this one:


It's the plane we came in from Moscow. Solid Russian-made stainless steel straight from Flash Gordon (there's Queen again!). It felt very heavy when we took off, my legs didn't fit, and the stewardess looked like Wilma Flinstone... (and as is clear, I can't get over it - sad...)

More tomorrow.
K x

Finally!

Finally the internet connection is working, and I can get started... For those who were wondering (especially my mother and father - who left a comment to my previous message), despite a bumpy ride on a Tupolev airplane from Moscow to Perm, I am safe and well. And enjoying myself quite a bit. The connection is not working properly yet, and I cannot post pictures yet, so stay tuned for those.

In the meantime, a few impressions.

I left on Friday at midday from Madrid to arrive at Moscow five hours later. The Russians have a funny rule that if you have more than a 3 hour layover, you are not allowed to check your luggage all the way through but instead have to collect it and check in all over again in Moscow. I can tell you that I needed nearly all my five hours just to get to the other terminal rolled up like a sardine in a black-smoke-puffing bus, go through security and then check in again.

My first impressions about the country are full of contrasts. It's big and I haven't seen anything yet, but a few things stand out immediately. Russia is a very old-fashioned country in desperate need of some maintenance and a new tie. The airport area in Moscow was an absolute mess, and the people all seemed tired and in need of a joke or a big kiss to get them to smile. Waiting for my connecting flight on a Friday night right after midnight, I saw nothing but drunk people! Everyone seemed to have a beer in their hand or was stumbling around. And as was to be expected, the Tupolev airplane was old, cranky and bumpy, and you should have seen the ground staff vehicles at the Perm airport... It all fit my stereotypes.

But then, as ever and after that first visual impression which is always confusing and distant, you quickly get a chance to experience the human aspect. And hey, nothing but good stuff! The only locals we have contact with are the staff members of the festival, and we have had only fantastic, welcoming and warm experiences. Russians really know how to make one feel at home, and as such, how to throw a party (I am referring to the party after the opening ceremony of the festival, which included over-aged local traditional singers and birthday-party type games - not to mention that transparent stuff they like drinking over here).

I say "we" because there is a nice collection of directors from a variety of countries, which is always interesting. And the documentary community is so small, that we all know the same people. We haven't seen much audience, so we all go to each other's screenings and are the first ones to start clapping. Despite the obvious competition, as we are in fact after the same awards...

Yesterday at the opening ceremony they showed the Danish film Monastery (dir: Pernille Rose Gronkjaer), an absolute masterpiece. I don't know if it's going to be on somewhere near you, but keep an eye out for the title this coming year or so. And tomorrow they're showing a film called Casting!! Haha. I have a screening at 11AM and one at 6PM, so wish me luck. I learned a few Russian phrases for my presentation.

And with that, I have to leave you, because I should get some sleep. More tomorrow. Hopefully with some pickies...

Bye! K x

testing 1-2-3

When I was in India I wrote in Spanish. Now, for the other half of my family and friends, and for those who enjoy linguistic-overlapping-skills, my trip to Perm in Russia is being reported on in English.

Tomorrow I leave. I start writing (and taking pictures) in the plane. For now, all there is to read is my profile...