Featured Guest | Jenna Cato Bass

I skip the last movie I booked for and head for home. The Berlinale is over, and I wanted to try finish it on a good note, i.e. with a good movie. This turned out to be Eine Flexible Frau by Tatjana Turanskyj - not how I'd expected to end the festival, but the film is nothing if not thought provoking, and that is a good thing. Also, I think the reason I opted out early, is because one of the best and most profound things about watching dozens of films in succession (or even a single one) is that eventually this will end and you'll step back into the real world. It is only there that one can contemplate, or apply, whatever one has experienced in the cinema. For me it's more specific, not only in life, but to get to work and use what I have seen here. Things like the child's cry at the end of Red Sorghum which has haunted me since I saw it. Or the line from Solo Sunny - when Sunny has just opened her heart to her lover, making herself vulnerable for the first time, and he looks at her and she says: "You look like you're staring out a window". Best line ever, perfectly encapsulating, for me, the duality in cinema of knowing and not knowing. That line is so ambiguous and that is it's genius. Like I read Michael Haneke saying recently, cinema which gives you all the answers is useless. Right on.

There are many things about Berlin that I will miss greatly: Felafel is a big one. But far more significant (though do not underestimate the felafel) will be being able to speak with so many people on a different kind of level, about cinema. Sure I have that chance often back home - but here I have encountered a new sincerity, passion and pragmatism which has really inspired me. I think it comes from people who have grown up with a cultural history of cinema of their own. It's quite beautiful.

Also, there is a kind of excitement to be felt here. Whether or not the porgrammed films reflect it (and for the most part of what I saw, I don't think they do), despite the general conservativeness of world cinema, at the moment, there seems to be some kind of feverish curiosity for what will come next, whether in exploration of style, content or geography - for example, the great global eye which is turned to Africa at the moment seems to be unblinking in its search for new cinema. Also on the latter point, the increasing globalization one sees in all sectors is particularly felt here - in the growing accessibility to other cultures through film, or the fact that filmmakers more an more have roots in many places, a kind of cultural duality. This is something that occurred to me while I was trying to think of something intelligent to say about Fatih Akin to another great director, and then realized it was pretty interesting... especially as I potentially fall into that bracket. 

But at the same time, I'm looking forward to getting down to some work - I haven't been able to to work on anything creatively while I've been away, and thus have had this nagging feeling of redundancy. But now is the time to capitalize, as such, one whatever success the film has been having. Meetings in Berlin with Sheri, Andro and Thorsten were great - I'll speak more about those when and if things start to arise, but much good feeling is in the air. I remember last time I left Berlin, I did so with a strong sense that if I waited around for anyone to give me permission to make films, it would never happen. It was up to me to find a way to get it together, even if it meant being selective with the kind of things I chose to do. I think at the time I wasn't really confident or experienced enough to really know what that meant. But as I prepare to leave, that knowledge once again comes to me and this time I see the way forward far clearer. OK, we may not be talking crystal yet, but something else transparent. Maybe soda.  

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I saw five movies today. And I've worked out that one could actually see six a day, if one were so inclined. Technically, you could push it to seven, but I don't know how travel time between cinemas would factor into that. Today I saw five. One particularly blew me away - Solo Sunny by Konrad Wolf (easily my favourite film of the festival, if not in a very long time too). Also brilliant to see Red Sohrgum by Zhang Yimou and Sundance favourite Zona Sur. I think this is by far the best, and most underrated, aspect of coming to the Berlinale - I say underrated, because when you're here on business, you're either in meetings/parties, or intent on watching the hottest film as soon as possible. But festivals, the Berlinale in particular, are so wonderful because they're just a chance to immerse oneself in cinema, to swim around in it and sample the flavours. Back home, cinema-going is rationed out (in some ways a good thing, maybe), and of course there's less choice. But at a festival, no matter what the critics may say about the lineup, you have this amazing opportunity of getting rid of any preconceptions you may have about how to watch movies, what they should be about and how they should be made. How brilliant. 

Also the cinemas here - wow. Bigger than anything we have in Cape Town - larger screens and more room for audiences. I was a bit freaked out at first that our HDCAM print wouldn't hold on such a huge screen. But it looks amazing - some people even thought we'd had a 35mm print done, which I think is going a bit far, but flattering nonetheless. And I've now realised how important, vital even, an experience like this is: It's very easy, at the bottom of Africa, to forget that it is indeed eventually feasible to have your film in a cinema, and people come see it. You start to make films for other reasons, but the end goal becomes hazy and grey. But here was the chance to see, no, it is possible, it's happening. No matter what one's more conservative relatives may think, filmmaking is possible. It can happen. Goodness, it looks like it's happening for me, even if on a small scale. And we shouldn't be allowed to forget. Bumping into fellow Cape Townian, Sven, after the screening, made me think more about how I can bring this home - this is all well and good for me, but I want other filmmakers in South Africa to access this. Whether it involves organising a festival of some kind (Cape Town's main festival disbanded a few years ago), we'll see. But something needs to be done. 

Right now, the Berlinale should have already awarded it's variously gilded bears, and both winners and losers are partying it up somewhere (note my festivalled-out unenthusiasm for parties). The bears for shorts were awarded last week, and I guess the fact that this blog post isn't titled something victorious has alerted you to the fact that we did not win. I'm usually super competitive to a fault and have gone into depression for weeks over slighter defeats. But in this case, strangely, it wasn't a big deal at all. And I think this really is because I already feel like we won: Screening at the Berlinale and all that has come with it, is reward enough. Anything else is superfluous. That said, I'll admit that when another filmmaker told me that we had been shortlisted to win, that made me feel pretty good. But I'm sincere when I say I don't feel like I could ask for more. 

PS Sat next to film writer, Meredith Brody, at a screening of Fassbinder's Rio Das Mortes (interesting film) - she writes about the Berlinale for Indiewire here - and I get mentioned, woo hoo!

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So I get an email. It's an invitation to dinner with James Schamus. I stare at it. I decide I can't possibly process this until I have had a shower. In the shower I see my hosts have installed a security camera. I stare at it. Normally something like this would completely freak me out. So maybe it's a sign of some kind of maturity that I eventually ignore it. It's too late now anyway. (Hold on, I'll get to the point of this now now) Out of the shower, I casually ask Maike, Alex and Dominik about the camera. It's a fake. We all laugh. I get back to the serious task of RSVPing to the dinner invitation. This is something that could easily occupy me for at least 2 hours, not because it is particularly challenging, but because I enjoy drawing out the moment. It's not every day I get to do this. Also, you though there was only one way to answer 'yes'? Well, think again, Daddy-O. And then I start worrying the usual stuff: Will I for once be able to behave myself and act normally in front of someone I admire? Whatever normally is. And then Maike does it - she gives me the advice I could never have given myself: "It's just like the camera in the shower. It's there. What are you going to do about it? It's happening." Strange, but somehow that's the best analogy ever. 

I think I'm starting to love the Germans: I can't think of anywhere else where people have such passion and unswerving, thoughtful enthusiasm. Really, it's wonderful. Whether it's Alex telling me about his favourite musical, or Maike Mia Höhne, the shorts programmer. And on the latter - I really must admit that the Berlinale Shorts program has literally enlightened me. Each short really illuminated the potential, possibilities, and purpose of the short format, in the sense that shorts really can, for their own sake, tell stories and experiment in a way features can't. I fell quite humbled by it, to be in such company. What's also a pretty awesome thought is for the first time I feel properly amoungst contemporaries: These people will be making films in the same age as me. Whatever our respective cultures and influences, we will be sharing the world stage at a particular time. Maybe even sharing cinemas. I love that. Whether it's swimming around in the many currents of Paul Wright's Photos of God, film as painting in Lucia & Davide Pepe's Giardini di Luce, moments of pure inspiration in Out in That DeepBlue Sea by Kazik Radwanksi, hilarious beauty in Bettina Schöller's Wo ich bin ist oben and full on crazy brilliance in In the Air by Liza Johnson. I wish I had links to trailers so I could share them around. But be on the watch - these people will make movies for you soon. 

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I am the living dead. Right now I feel, and look, like a shambling, hollow-eyed horror, arisen from the grave. I can see where those zombies are coming from: right now I could so do with some human flesh. But really - not sleeping for over a month has begun to take it's toll. I'm staggering back across town from a 35mm print screening of Herzog's Signs of Life, in which, despite pinching myself and forcibly holding my eyes open, I fell asleep. That's how tired I am: I fell asleep in a Herzog. The horror. But this did help solve a quandry which had been nagging me all evening: whether or not to go to another Berlinale party. I usually hate those kinds of events, but this one was for the Forum section and there would be lots of interesting people. It also looks to be the last party of the festival. At least that I would score an invite to. But this clinched it: If I was so wrecked I would fall asleep in a Herzog (!), then I was in no fit state for anything. 

I took the first train back to Savignyplatz. 

So as you can tell, Berlin has been intense: Don't know why I didn't see it coming - dozens of movies all across town, showing throughout the day. And mixed in with a Jamie Oliver-sized sprinkle of meetings and interviews (believe it or not). So I realise I have missed out on one of the best aspects of blogging, which is the live, 'as it happens', 'you read it here first, folks', aspect. So forgive me, dear readers (of which there are, how many? I should do a census of some kind). So the next few posts will be after the fact, I'm afraid, but what can I say? Das ist Berlin.....

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And now for some shameless self-promotion.

That is all. 

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Berlin. Already I like it. I've been here before, but I had a feeling this time I'd get more of a sense of the city. And so far yes, it looks promising. This mainly has to do with me staying with Maike, Alex and Dominik in Berlin-Mitte - my first ever experience of couchsurfing. Awesome! So far we have discussed Inglorious Basterds, the techno scene and polaroid photography. Great stuff. 

It all started badly. Almost missed my flight because of traffic. Had about 2 hours sleep and was at my wits end. Didn't get any sleep on the plane, but for a much better reason: A kind twist of fate had me seated next to a publicist representing some major films at the Berlinale. We got talking and it turned out that he had worked closely with The Coens, David Lynch, Mike Leigh and Roman Polanski - I think you can imagine my mouth dropping at every consecutive name, until I resembled something like one of those detachable-jawed snakes. Ah what fun.

Day #1: The Festival has only begun and I have my first sighting of you know who. On arriving, I decide to be brazen and ask straight out to the rather confused Shorts team, how and where I can see - just glimpse, nothing more even - Werner Herzog. They tell me there is a jury press conference the next day. I can try my luck there. Maybe I can get in. To cut a long story, thanks to a small amount of breathless and naive honesty ("I know I don't have press accreditation, my film has nothing to do at all with the press conference, but I just really really really want to go!") and a large amount of kindness on behalf of the Berlinale Press office (Danke Schön!), I get in. As soon as he appears, I start crying, but control myself quickly as I think unexplained tears may betray me as a non-professional. But its great, even if half the answers are in German. Hi Werner. I saw you today. Now I know you are real, and believe it or not, that gives me hope. Maybe one day we'll get to sit down and talk. And maybe I'll give you a hug. That's all for now. 

Paid a visit to the European Film Market to meet Sydney Levine, who I met briefly at Sundance and who runs tours of the EFM. I'd seen how the market worked last time I was here, but having her insight really helped open my eyes to it even more. She keeps a great blog called Sydney's Buzz. 

But dang! There are so many great movies to watch at the festival - I'm getting super excited - it's finally started to sink in. I think it's going to be a fun 10 days - just the right amount of meetings and parties, but also lots of time to watch tons of movies and go to panels - really looking forward to trying to get into masterclasses with Sir Ken Adam (production design on Barry Lyndon!) and Christian Berger (DP on The White Ribbon). And also just to see some of the older films that the Berlinale is replaying - Thin Red Line, Repulsion, some Kurosawa, Fassbinder, even a Herzog - movies I couldn't usually see on a big screen, let alone 35mm. Über Cool!

So all good so far. More soon. 

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Dear Readers

Sundance is over. I find myself in an Irish Pub in Park City, which is kindly putting up with me using their internet for 7 hours (and ordering practically nothing) while waiting for my train. Thank you Flanagan's on Main Street. 

Highlights? Lowlights? In the grand tradition of bloggers everywhere, here are some lists of what I learnt from America's famousest festival:

THINGS I LEARNT:

Do not step on shiny patches of road. It is ice. You will fall. And this will probably happen in front of someone important

Good boots + right combination of socks = religious epiphany

Don't get stressed: Parties are too crowded to meet anyone. You will be late for screenings. You will say something stupid in front of John Cooper. Take it in your stride. 

Take yourself as seriously as you take your work. Or not. Basically you cannot control how seriously people take you. So just don't be too serious about anything. 

Be honest. You will probably sound better.

WORST MOMENTS:

Freaking out about our print the day before the premiere. 

Waiting for 45min outside the Eccles in cold like I have never before experienced - then falling asleep in Michael Winterbottom's The Killer Inside Me. Damn!

Realizing that there is just no way you can see all the cool films. 

Not that many worst moments actually....

**Just paused for a salad - other than what came on burgers etc, the first greenery I have eaten in about 2 weeks**

BEST MOMENTS:

Um, like, meeting Walter Murch! Not only that, but his lecture was amazing - if all tertiary education was like that I'd give up this filmmaking lark and go back to college. We did give him our film - Jacques handled it very well. I just stood there almost crying. Laura invited him out for lunch which I thought was very chivalrous, but luckily he declined because I think we are all broke. Though I'm sure if he'd said yes we would have made a plan. 

Best - just being in the cinema watching our film. Off HDCAM. With an audience. Beautiful. Add to that random people coming up to me in queues and on the bus and telling me they liked the film. 

Watching Harold and Maude - why this screening wasn't packed I'll never know. Wow. 

Getting our accreditation badges which had accidentally been printed with the names of Gasper Noe's FX team. Awesome!

Realizing that no one there scared me anymore. 

BEST SUNDANCE MOVIES:

(disclaimer - I didn't manage to see half the movies I wanted to see - so excuse the absence of Blue Valentine, Temptation of St Tony, Southern District, Son of Babylon, Exit Through the Gift Shop etc)

Number 1 Movie::: THE RED CHAPEL - pure brilliance. In fact, I think this film should have won all the awards, even the dramatic ones (it's a documentary). Excellent concept, mind blowing originality, carried through to perfection with intelligent, scathing and self-effacing comedy mingled with horror. 

WINTER'S BONE: Finally! A twisted noir (a real one!) with a twist and none of the kitschyness. Best climax scene ever. 

ANIMAL KINGDOM: A little ponderous at times, but ultimately so unusual. Never seen characters like that. What music and sound design! And I think David Michod is one of the most interesting writers around - see Hesher too, below. 

THE EXTRA MAN: OK, not the best film of the festival, but definitely the funniest (except for The Red Chapel which I will champion until the end) -almost died laughing. 

HESHER: I'd read mixed reviews about this one, so I didn't have great expectations. But my goodness I enjoyed it - took a while for me to get into it, but once I did, wow, I was in love. One of those great minglings of originality, true emotion and populist cinema. Not to mention how it is a brilliant twist on the late 80s, early 90s suburban pre-teen fantasies I love. 'Home Alone' for adults! At the awards, Spencer Susser sits in front of us. My first thought is "maybe we're sitting in the wrong area" (which i think we are). I write him a note on the back of my flyer that says: "I think your film is brilliant. Thank you for making it." And I really mean it. Spencer Susser, you are cool. 

OK! Enough from me. I need to stock up for the train journey - which probably means just buying a lot of flavoured rice cakes. And Clif Bars. Lots of Clif Bars. 

NEXT: The Berlin Film Festival where The Tunnel will be playing next. Also, my first ever experience of being on a panel. yikes! Oh, and expect some Werner Herzog stalking.... or at least an attempt. Or I will eat my shoe!

Best, 

Jenna

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I thinks its possible that I have actually been speaking too much in the past few days, but I am very excited to tell you (both in a collective and personal sense depending on taste and relationship) about this:

I think I mentioned I'd plucked up the courage to invite the AV Club to one of our screenings in Park City - I usually devour their festival coverage and in quiet times at the video store we often read their insightful reviews. Or at least I do. So it was a big deal for me to invite them (I mean, what if they didn't like it??) and I didn't even know if they'd make it through. I left a ticket at the press office and waited. On tenterhooks, whatever those may be. And lo! Today, while on the shuttle (obsessively googling for any sign of press, I must confess), I found it:

-Jenna Bass’ “The Tunnel,” about a little girl using stories to help explain (and escape) what happened to her father during Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland Massacres of the early ‘80s. The specificity of the short is remarkable, given that it’s only 25 minutes long, but the real selling point of “The Tunnel” is the imagination Bass puts into the storytelling from both a structural and visual perspective. The story itself is nested in an oddly organic way, with one flashback leading to another, and Bass even inserts a few lovely animated sequences. It’s a strong piece.

You can read the whole article (and I'd recommend checking out the whole site - I don't usually read film commentary/criticism, but this I make time for) click here.

Other signs of The Tunnel in the press are over at INDIEWIRE and ESSENCE.com 

And something else cool, before I sign out: At a screening at a really boring film (which was made all the more annoying by the fact that it's concept was so great) - I accidently sat next to a very nice programmer for Director's Fortnight at Cannes. The crazy thing was, i couldn't figure out what he programmed for for most of the conversation - he made out that it was small, no big deal. But again, this probably worked out in my favour because I was able to hand him, quite calmly, a copy of the film. So ignorance evidently is bliss. At least in matters of social interaction. 

PS: Tomorrow - No stone left unturned! No avenue unexplored! No length is too great! It is.......... The Assault on Walter Murch!

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Wednesday // 12:30pm

So, the snow is flitting down again and I have just come out of the Sundance Industry Meetings. This was one of the things I've been most excited about in the lead up to the festival. And indeed it was an interesting experience. Wanuri and I were so lucky to be there, a fact I only realised when we arrived - I'd assumed the other short filmmakers would be there too, but apart from us, everyone had features. What it was was a series of one on ones with US agents/distributers/industry members - some small, some big, some really big - but all with an interest in international talent and content. And so we sell ourselves. Normally I find these things horrifically painful - watching and waiting for some sign of approval from whomever it is - do they like me do they like me, etc. ad nauseum. And that impresses no one. But this time, maybe I knew what to expect, or maybe I was just honest with myself, so I got through it. And actually enjoyed it. Some of them made it quite obvious - without saying it - that they were in no way interested unless i unzipped my skin and turned out to be Neil Blomkamp's clone in disgiuse. But others were very nice. And interested too. It started me thinking again on the matter of what it would take to work overseas - and thus with an American agent/partner - and my conclusion, which I honestly told them, is thus: I want to make films in Africa. About Africa. That is most exciting for me and it is what I want to do know. Not to mention it is what I know. But I want to make films and I want them to be seen by many many people. So if an international project came along, one that I looked at, and thought that I, only I, could bring something to it, then YES. Of course. So that is what I told them. But just some of the things we spoke about made my head spin: I suppose it's a matter of wanting something for ages and then suddenly someone suggesting that it is possible. One will seldom jump into it and believe it to be so. So I'll see what comes. There were come cool people there and hopefully we can correspond. I stole a bagel on the way out and left with much to ponder over.....

Wednesday // 14:30

Now I'm waiting in the theatre for our third screening. This may be an interesting one, as I think whatever word of mouth we may have generated may manifest today after the gap between our screenings. So I'm really early, as I usually end up being because if I'm not really early I'll be really late. That seems to be the rule. But being here now means I get to watch the audience come in which is damn exciting. I heard of one feature filmmaker who hid in the bathroom after his screening to hear what people really thought of his film. Personally, I prefer the anticipation. 

Wednesday // 18:00

Screening over. We actually ducked out to get to a press event which was crowded and a bit scary. Race back in a taxi, but make it in good time. Q&A good. Highlights include the first person asking me about the history of the 5th Brigade and Gukurahundi, which I hope I was able to answer adequately. But at least someone asked. And also someone asked my age and when I said, '23' someone said "Get out" or something like that, which was quite cool, I think. 

Got some more time before my screening - an 20:30 screening of Winter's Bone - trying to decide if I should make the mission to Main Street to get dinner - there is this great pressure to get OUT and MEET people. Which is understandable. But I suppose even great producers still need to have leftover oatmeal in their hotel rooms, right? He he, perhaps not....

Laters!

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So what is Sundance really like? I don't know, for those back home, or afar, whether I have done it justice, given an adequate description. Herewith follows a day in the life style outline of events:

Wake up. So tired. Why am I so tired? Oh yes, because I went to sleep at 4.30am. Wish I had the shower I didn't have last night. 

On the bus. Overhear someone closing a deal on a $3mill picture. What I couldn't do with R25,000,000....

Really cold. 

Watch Harold and Maude on the big screen. 35mm print. A bit scratched but pure magic. Like watching it for the first time. I cry in parts. The direction is amazing. part of me thinks they don't make em like this anymore. 

Go to a product demonstration. See the Red's scarlet - love at first sight. 

Get email from Cape Times - they want to do a feature on the film. Their interview questions are great - Werner Herzog is even mentioned. Will get to talk about Werner Herzog in a South African newspaper - best thing ever. 

See Diego Luna in a cafe. I think it's him. Too shy to say hi. 

Pick up a flyer for an interesting film. Realise hands are shaking. 

Sitting in a cinema, a man sits down next to you and asks if you directed The Tunnel. Yes. He says it's the best film he's seen at the festival. You talk about it for a while and then he leaves. You try to go back to reading the paper, but really you can't. 

On the bus. Come Together is playing on the stereo.

So that is relatively typical. Up until recently I've been subsisting on a diet purely of Clif Bars (I think they should be my festival sponsors next time) - being a vegan in park city isn't too easy... though there are some great cookies, if you're interested. 

So I just came home, crushed at having missed an opportunity of being introduced by Kisha to Christine Vachon (!!!!). Spirits lifted somewhat by this first really great review blogged on the Sundance site by Gene Buzzard. The Tunnel part is below, but I recommend the rest of the article too to hear about Wanuri and Dyana's films...

The three films presented at the New African Cinema screening differed in almost everything except their beauty and freshness.  In Tunnel  South African filmmaker Jenna Bass brings us into the brutality of the Zimbabwean civil war through the eyes and mind of a remarkable young girl called Rabbit.  Rabbit witnesses her father and the other men of her village digging their own graves, supervised by smartly uniformed government soldiers.  Rabbit deals with this and other atrocities with an elaborate series of fanciful rationalizations that gradually turn into an acceptance of the harshness of her situation that is both courageous and deeply intelligent.  This film is at times hard to watch, but is always absorbing and its authentic depiction of the growing ability of a young girl to deal honestly with an horrific situation affirms the human spirit without letting the rest of us off the hook for allowing such atrocities-- this is a film that needs to be seen.

Couldn't be better! 

I asked Jacques what he thought i should blog about in future while still at Sundance and he said: "The industry process and the reality of being thrown into it." Good answer, Jacques. The reality is that I have come to some unexpected conclusions. Though I made a point of not getting my hopes up when it came to the usual Sundance-related optimism, namely US agents/distribution/deals/funding/festivals/showers of gold and silver, I did have it in mind as something to be ready for. Now that I have been speaking to a few people and giving the matter more thought, I had the following epiphany: The next three projects (features) I intend to work on, I conceived when Sundance seemed like a far off dream. Thus, they were intentionally chosen for their low budgets, practicality and also the viabilities of me doing them myself - hopefully with producers and funders and those sorts of useful things - but if it came down to it, as it did with The Tunnel, I would be capable of pulling them off. So you see, I know, and I think any overseas professional knows, that these are not ideal 'dealmaking' projects. Yet I must do them. So I suppose the ideal thing is to create an interest in my work - so even if nothing comes directly this time, people will be watching. Does that make sense? Of course, if opportunity knows, I'll never say now. This is just my relativistic and realistic take on things. 

On a more hysterical note:

I'm about to go to bed and Jacques suddenly speaks: "Jenna" he says, in a very solemn tone. "Oh no," I think, "What have I done wrong?" "Jenna," he says, "You know what we mustn't let slide while we're here? You know what we absolutely have to do?" I have no idea where he's going with this, but I hope it's good. He continues: "We must give our screener to Walter Murch." Holy mackerel, I completely forgot about that! Did I mention? Walter Murch is giving a panel here for the festival - Jacques and I are mildly obsessed with him (a close second after Werner Herzog) - we site him all the time, and practically have bracelets we wear in the edit room which say: "WWWD: What Would Walter Do?" So you can imagine this is a big deal for us. We have a whole strategy. So, in our next episode.... or it maybe the one after that as the panel is on friday....: 

WILL JACQUES AND JENNA GET THEIR SCREENER TO WALTER MURCH???

The plot thickens.....

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So let's talk a little about the nature of celebrity. That is, if you want? I'll take that as a yes. So when I first found out I was going to be at Sundance, naturally I told people. And naturally, the response was often: "YOU'RE GOING TO SEE FAMOUS PEOPLE!!!" (That's what they said first, closely followed by asking what I'd be wearing and whether my parents were coming with). Duly noted, I agreed, this was most probable. But what does it mean. Oh yes, it's great to see a superhero in the flesh. But then what? I think everyone reacts in different ways, but I'll tell you what I do: I freeze up. And this is, I now realise, because of the absolute and total quandary going on in my head. It goes something like this: What should I do? Go up and speak to him/her? What will that do, no but what will it really do? In the end of the day, I'm most inclined to think nothing. It would be one in a series of hellos and goodbyes, only serving the purpose of possibly a compliment they've heard before. And for me? The vindication that I did not miss the opportunity and can go home and say 'I did not miss the opportunity.' But I think I'm happy to wait for that opportunity - I think I still optimistically believe that one day we'll get a chance to sit down and have a proper conversation - if life and work toss me that way. And then I will not miss out. But now, sometimes the poor guy just wants to watch a movie. I don't know. We saw Bill Gates. What do you say to him - I love your work?

It's a fraught issue. But still, this happened: Wanuri and I are picked up from the Broadway Cinema in Salt Lake City - the screening is great, the screen is BIG. Our driver is real nice, tells us how he wishes he could spend his life in athletic wear and play tennis. We're talking and he tells me he drove a guy called Todd Haynes to the airport. He sat exactly where I'm sitting. At this point I squealed and did a small dance - such as I was able to without causing the car to swerve in the blizzard we were driving through. So don't get me wrong, I do get excited about these things. 

But overall I'm sensing some kind of improvement in my general networking faculties. It's still hard, but I think I'm just getting into it a bit. Today I gave my screener to Michael Winterbottom's associate producer. That was fun. 

Have also finally been able to watch some movies  - so far the most rewarding and excellent thing I've seen has actually been the animated shorts program. Some beautiful work, really outstanding. Check out these trailers:

One Square Mile of Earth (Director: Jeff Drew)

Please Say Something (Director: David O Reilly)

Old Fangs (Director: Adrien Merigeau)

And while you're into some link clicking, The Tunnel has a page on the radical theauteurs.com

Need sleep. Speak soon. 

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So, I'm considering renaming these blog posts as follows:

CRAZY STUFF THAT JACQUES DID AT SUNDANCE. 

Exhibit A: We go to the premiere of New Frontiers, the Sundance program for experimental works. Jacques asks Joseph Gordon Levitt - who is presenting an interactive, social networking, web-based piece called HitRecord - if he can upload content of himself naked. As people are filming themselves right there in the room and uploading them direct to the site, Jacques suggests he could even strip down right there and then. Joseph Gordon Levitt is apparently pro - but in the end it is decided that Jacques should maybe make this recording in the comfort of his own home. What a disappointment. 

But I suppose the biggest deal, and as anyone who knows the program knows, TODAY WE PREMIERED THE FILM. I had reached a plateau of calm that morning which only comes through the absolution of total terror. But you know what - it was actually great. I don't know how accurate one can be about this, but the feeling was there, amoung the audience - the energy ebbed and flowed in all the right places - the story was playing itself out, telling itself. It was also brilliant to finally be able to watch an HDCAM projection - the best quality possible - almost like watching the film for the first time. Not to mention getting to see Pumzi and St Louis Blues. From a completely unbiased perspective (Yeah right, you're thinking, but really I'm the least biased person I think) - it works so well as a program. For so long we've been all doom and gloom about African cinema, and for the first time I looked and I saw... what did I see? Many things - a future - not only one of productivity, but one of brilliance. One which can only come from where we're from. And to have my film as a part of that - you can imagine. It kind of feels a bit like: WOO HOOOOOO!

Later on, many parties: First at the Hollywood Reporter event in honor of James Schamus. Surprisingly, enjoy myself - maybe I'm getting better at this. Get to meet Scott Macaulay, editor of this site. Luckily for me, I forget that he has produced to of the most influential films in my life's-inspiration-canon: Gummo and Julien Donkey Boy. Luckily I say, because if I had realised I may have died right then and there. So luckily. Get to say hello again to James Schamus - it's all a blur. I mean, what do you do in that situation, really - you may think you have the answer but you don't. I think I need to write it down. And maybe send it to him if I have the guts. 

More parties. Meet some cool Australian filmmakers who're here with their short. Speak to John Nein, festival programmer - who has very kind words about the film. I wish I could explain in these cases how much it means to hear the thoughts of those so immersed in film. But maybe they already know. 

Now it's almost 4am. I probably shouldn't be up this late - tomorrow is early waking up to get to the Director's Brunch which I think everyone is freaking out about. But Jacques and Laura are discussing the nights events and I can't sleep when there are whisperings going on. I'm too much of an eavesdropper maybe. No but really. Time for sleep. 

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Technically I had intended to write this post tomorrow - Tomorrow being the night before I leave for Park City and all that Sundance would/could bring. But really, I already know what it will be like - the hysteria and anxiety are all too familiar. I know what will be going through my head - it will be many things at once. It will be many things I didn't do and should have done. It will mainly just be - "F***! I should write a blog post!" So I thought I'd spare myself a late night tomorrow, when I most need it, and project myself into the future. Basically, pretend. And pretending is something I hope to after all, in part, make a career out of....

Left South Africa in the blazing heat. Suffered from advance home sickness. Almost burst into tears when I see Sharlton Copley on a full page spread in Empire Magazine. I must love that country to miss it before I've been left. I just hate the idea of it going on without me. I want to be there to see it all go down. Whatever 'it' may be. But maybe I just like to feel indispensable. Whatever. Now I find myself in the USA. A strange place. But its good to get out in the world, even if I find the States the least accessible in terms of inspiration. I don't dream here. But that's just me. Fair enough. It has other people to open it's secrets to. 

The past few days have seen an unexpected stream of festival invitations for The Tunnel... small or large, in a sense it doesn't matter - I've only recently grasped the concept of the festival circuit as equivalent to an international theatrical release. OK I'm not being paid, but PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD ARE GOING TO SEE MY FILM. And that is a great thing. Scary but great. So thank you festival programmers everywhere - keep inviting us. 

More surprising has been a steady stream of requests of interviews of one sort or another: Radio, print, the like. Now this is very weird for me. This is the kind of thing I've been practising, awake and asleep, pretty much as far back as I can remember. And now the questions are for real. Very scary. I even made an invitation of my own to one of my favourite film criticism blogs/magazines to come see the film at Sundance. Omigod I think they're coming. We cannot hide anymore. There is no more excuse of 'It's a student film' 'It's a South African film' 'It's her first film' - NO! Now it's more like 'I paid $10000000 to come see your film - why is it bad?'............ hopefully not literally, but I think you know what I mean, right? We're in the arena now. It's the colosseum. The lions are scratching at the gates. As my Uncle Tony says - "Play it cool".

Thank you! For the words of encouragement and kindness that have reached me wherever I have been. I appreciate it more than I can say. 

More news from the front!

Watch this space.........

And also watch 'The White Ribbon' - exceeds the hype - glory in seeing a master at work, a career of excellence at his fingertips. Michael Haneke is the boooomb!

bang!

over and out for now....

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Not too much from me recently, I know. So let's start at the beginning:

Happy New Year. I can't really believe that I've been sitting here, waxing lyrical (if not melodical) about making The Tunnel for over a year now. It's very strange. It seems a long time, but it's in fact comparatively short. Often, shorts of this size take many years to complete. Praise be to the celluloid gods. They have smiled upon us, for sure. 

The end of 2009 swept by in a blur of mild hysteria, late nights, visits to the printers, visits to the post office, multiple revisitings to printers and post office, folding of a 100 horrifically expensive flyers (thanks Mom), back pain and bankruptcy. But everything was OK, because all the hard stuff was only happening next year. Now it's this year. The back pain (I mistyped that as 'bank pain' - an all too accurate slip) continues, and the hysteria now ceases to be mild. It's all happening..... *counts on fingers*.... next weeek oh holy....

Advice has flooded in from various well meaning friends, family and colleagues. 

Gordon, my erstwhile boss, says: "Jenna, no matter what you do, you have to stop saying 'like' all the time. It sounds terrible. All the film people will think you're stupid." 

David says: "Don’t do the ‘Oh it’s crap, it could have been better, everyone hates me thing!!'".

Mom says: "Just stop biting your finger nails"

Rafiki from The Lion King says: "Remember who you are."... oh, but he was talking to Simba there, not me. Aw. 

I'm still new to this game, and it's quite like learning the rules as you go along (I don't like those kinds of games - they're harder to win) - It's all very alien - like booking my first ever radio interview. Publicity.....oh no, one of the waves of madness is coming over me again - they generally take the form of obsessive internet research (because yes it is absolutely vital that I memorize the IMdb credentials of EVERYONE who will be attending the festival. obviously, I mean, who wouldn't) or just paralysing neuroses about everything I won't have managed to do by the time I leave on Thursday. Like business cards. Oh no....

None of this is very helpful, i know. So I'll sign off with some thoughts I had on Avatar. Because it seems everyone has thoughts. And this way I might not get into any real life fights with people. Maybe just cyber ones.... 

OK, so first you'll have to travel back with me to a few weeks ago when I first saw the thing:

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So more and more festival politics - I never expected to be in this situation. In fact, I'm still don't believe I'm in this situation. But hopefully it'll be sorted out soon and I can go back to stressing in peace about normal things. Like Q&As - actually quite looking forward to that - it'll be my first one since film school. Ha ha....*nervous laugh*...

But what is craziest is the amount of paperwork, documentation, publicity materials and correspondence that have to be kept up with and completed in what seems a drastically diminishing time frame. I now understand why films have publicists et al. Those guys earn their keep. Because as it is I'm doing it all myself. Spent some time with Jacques this afternoon choosing the clips for our clip reel to send to the Sundance publicity dept. Harder than it looks. But it luckily reminded me of the fact that we don't actually have a trailer. It seems Jacques won't have time to do one - he's working on a documentary at the moment - so hello, Final Cut, my old friend, get ready for some trailer makin. So I thought that before I set off on this task, I'd ask Jacques, the editing sensei, for some advice. And I transcribed the pearls of wisdom for the edification of others - see below:

Jacques's Top 8 Suggestions for Cutting a Trailer for The Tunnel:

1. "Work through it systematically."

2. "It's actually a very easy trailer to cut. Because we have so much voice over." 

3. "Basically I think, begin with the voice over. Obviously."

4. "Sum up the fact that it's a coming of age story. Because I think the film is quite traditionally structured and you can construct the trailer like that. Because it really does feel like a feature film. I was describing it to an editor and they were like, "wow so this is a short film?" and I was like, 'Ja, it's 25min'."

5. "Emphasize the supernatural element. Ja."

6. "And really, I mean, just find one song, don't use more than one song."

7. "There really are so many good shots. Because our film rocks. And we cover such an emotional spectrum that there's a lot to choose from." 

8. "I can't see how you can botch it up, really." 

A digression: I got the best birthday presents ever. The reasons I say this is because three of them consist of some amazing film books which I thought I'd share here - 

You and Me and Memento and Fargo by JJ Murphy - on the anatomy of American Indie scriptwriting - wow! Who knew such a book existed. (Thanks David!)

Projections - a collection of interviews with European filmmakers. Many awesome European filmmakers. (Thanks Jacques!)

A massive Taschen boxset of 101 amazing films which is probably the most heavy thing I own. Such lush, beautiful and inspiring pictures (Thanks Carla, Mika, Lynn & Kim!)

Tired now - I'm starting to get 'email browser eye' - the symptoms of which are an annoying and constant twitch in one's left eye. bye bye.  

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So, I'm in this strange position now where I have quite a lot to say but I'm not really allowed to say it. It's annoying when this happens if you're in the film industry, because if you can't tell people about your career developments, when they happen, you look like a bum. But I guess it's all worth it and sensible in the long run. 

It being Friday and the week winding down time, I'm trying to make sense of it all. On the money side, things look bleak. It looks like I'm back to the 'spending every cent I own as well as much of my parents' money' option. The guys at work have offered to set up 'Help Send Jenna to Sundance Fund'. But really, I can't. I feel like I'm holding out for something, but sooner or later I'm going to have to bite the bullet and accept that when I come back I will be flat broke. Maybe it will be spiritually uplifting. But I doubt it. 

But people have so far been very kind. The Sundance accommodation people have definitely eased the horror of how expensive it is to stay in Park City. As well as Jacques, Laura and Katherine  for sharing said accommodation and coming half way across the globe to be the support team. Also, Erika, a designer (met her through Daniel - more on all that later when things are less secret) who is helping with the promo material as I decided that the times of doing my own design is over. So ja. It could be worse.   

And dang, I'm excited. 

So I've been speaking to quite a lot of people about festivals and have come to realize that for those of us early on in our careers, festival protocol and just general awareness is not high. I guess I've been lucky to have had the experience I've had so far, I think it's definitely helped. But so I thought I'd make a little list of helpful resources - if you're in any way a festival veteran, this'll all be very old news, but if you're about to tackle the festival circuit for the first time with your film, I would really recommend checking these out:

BERLINALE TALENT CAMPUS: Not a ticket for your film to screen at the festival, but invaluable experience at a major festival that, if you get in, will really help prepare you in future. There are also campuses (campi.... no.) in South America and South Africa. 

FILM FESTIVAL SECRETS: Online book. Awesome - didn't know they made free niche web resources this good. 

FILM FESTIVAL SECRETS (BLOG): Brilliant blog (related to above book)

ALL THESE WONDERFUL THINGS: If you're in documentaries, go here. 

FESTIVAL DO'S AND DONT'S: Cool article over at Moviemaker.com by Paul Osborne, one of the makers of Official Rejection. 

ADVICE ON CREATING A WEBSITE FOR YOUR FILM: An open letter from Jette Kernion

And if you're like me and are worrying about the who/what/where of festival premieres, check out this article, also on the indispensible Film Festival Secrets blog. 

Lastly, and if you are going to Sundance, you've probably already this grrrrreat blog post (not sure who it's by). This is all assuming you're like me and whenever you do anything you research it to hell first (except when you don't. And then you wish you had) - so assuming you are, then enjoy. But, having said all this, the most important thing, I'm quickly coming to realise, is just relaxing and not giving a damn. So there. 

And finally (which is different to 'lastly' obviously) two directors whom I wish would/could make more films: Tim Blake Nelson (who was the feature in the first article I ever read about Sundance) Todd Field (who I'm trying to forgive for taking Blood Meridian from me. That was MY adaptation!)

nighty night. 

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It's 12.20 and I'm crying in the kitchen. All my plans for getting funding towards attending Sundance have fallen through. As it stands, I can't get a cent. 

It never ends. 

Trying now to rationally scheme and plan, and hear myself think above the din of my own internal monologue, which right now contains enough cursing to supply a sailor's bachelor party. It's coming down to this: Will I be reduced to borrowing another massive chunk of money from my parents (who at this rate probably feel like the world bank. Except without the money) or do i spend every last penny of the money have accumulated over the last decade. And then still have to take a loan from my parents. Oh hell.

Am trying to focus: There will be Fassbinder prints showing in Berlin (Hannah Schygulla is getting a life time achievement award).  Sundance will be Sundance. Really, money is the small thing here. Right? OK... OK... back to work. 

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