Tribeca

I began with a press-only screening of a documentary called “Waiting for Hockney” about a man who spent 8 years and five months drawing one picture with the dream that some day he could show it to David Hockney.

Then I came to the press office where they have screening stations for people who want to see a movie but cannot be there when it is shown in a theater. I watched a screener of an animated film called “Sita Sings the Blues.” They say that living well is the best revenge but making a movie about what an unfeeling jerk your ex is probably comes pretty close. “Sita” ties together multiple layers and styles, using an ancient Indian myth and several different kinds of traditional imagery with songs by Annette Hanshaw (1920’s blues/jazz/American songbook signer who usually ended with a cheery “That’s all!”) and scenes from the film-maker’s own life and break-up. What made it especially fun for me is that it was made by a woman I met two years ago here at Tribeca — she was working on it then and it was so much fun for me to see how it all came out.

Then I went to an event that included both press and ticket-holders — and Q&A by the director, Mike Figgis (“Leaving Las Vegas”). “Love Live Long” was made in
five days from a one-page treatment, all dialog improvised by the two actors, who were cast just two days before filming began. I liked the way he took advantage of what happened to be going on where he was filming, including a million-person protest (“You never get a million extras!” he said happily.)

And then I attended the red carpet and screening of the basketball story “Ball Don’t Lie” — some video clips coming soon. Stay tuned!