Yesterday was world wide knit in public day...and I had a ball down at darling harbour with the Sydney crowd. The official count according to web-goddess was 53 knitters and we took up half of the inside of the Cafe. Thanks Bayside cafe for great service. And a massive thank-you to Web Goddess for organising.
I chose to knit with the crowd rather than see a BRAND NEW PRINT of An Affair to Remember. Sources tell me it was fabulous the clarity was incredible. I did have fun knitting though!
Following that we saw Playing In The Shadows - a lovely simple doco about the kids of the housing estate in Woolloomooloo and the wonderful and their foray into the Midnight basketball competition. Some truly inspirational stories and some facts about life in the shadow of the city lights....It was also lovely to see the kids on stage and catch up on their lives...I was particularly impressed with the discussion afterward of the community liason officers from the police (who have a wonderful reputation amongst the kids and the film-makers alike) who were unable to be filmed. Some of the stories (especially the dicussion afterward that highlighted a change in approach to incenting one of the kids - positive rather than punishment that turned him around) were incredible in the determination of the individuals to not get sucked in to the perpetuation of their families lives. I am sure this will end up on local TV watch out for it.
More info on the wonderful Midnight Basketball organisation here http://www.midnightbasketball.org.au/index.htm
Second up was another competition film the black-comedy In Bruges..with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as hitmen hiding out in Bruges. This film has a magnificent slow build that sets the scene and allows you to laugh at some incredibly black and violent moments later. I can understand exactly why this film was such a hit at Sundance. I can tell you very little without giving away some of the best parts of the film. Let me say this..The cast is perfect - Ralph Fiennes is spectacular as a cockney gangster (mainly only heard over the phone for the first half). I haven't laughed this much in ages....A must see (and yes it shows of the beautiful city of Bruges beautifully). Martin McDonaugh the writer director is also responsible for some of the best plays written in recent times.
The final film of the night was the much-hyped Children of the Silk Road. The film tells the story of George Hogg an English journalist who ends up in China trying to report on the Japanese invasion and occupation but ends up guardian to a bunch of orphan children. This film takes every cliche in these situations and plays it out...making me wonder if they had just stuck to the true story would they have had a much better time of it for audiences. There is not much here we haven't seen before. It is shot beautifully and looks lovely..but I was disapointed with the final effect. Especially after the originality of the film before it.
Tomorrow the Craft Show and mroe Film Festival including the World Premiere of the Nash Edgerton directed "The Square".
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