Client P and Montreal relief – pour les films!

These past few weeks, you might have been able to guess from my blog that I have been a bit depressed. No, it wasn't PMS. It’s depression. And yes, I know there is help for it. And yes, I suppose I should get my head examined. Some of it was spawned by Client P’s seemingly never ending project. Some of it is crap in my head. In any event, I think I worked about 12-14 hours every day over the last few weeks to catch up with the Client P project which was due last week. Two Fridays ago, I was scrambling to get things done, but the time flew by and so did the deadline to turn on Client P’s new sites. I felt bad, but I am the only one to blame. Let this be a very big lesson to me. I postponed some of the work on her project to the point that I ran out of time. Plus the client is bi-polar and can be a real bitch. That should have been the main reason to NOT procrastinate. But that’s just the way I am. Something I really need to work on.


I had decided earlier in the week to not work this past weekend and to go check out the International Film Festival in Montreal. Elissa was interested in going with me, so we planned to meet at her house Saturday morning. After I went to WW (no gain, no loss) I packed up a few things (as we didn’t know if we would stay or not) and headed to Elissa’s house. I think we got on the road around 11:30. We got to Montreal in under two hours. At the border, the border dude/guard asked me why I had California plates. (Note to self: next time Elissa drives!) I told him I had just moved to Vermont. I showed him my passport and he didn't ask for further identification. I did have my Vermont DL available but hoped he wouldn't ask for that. I could just see the questions. Then I had visions of being tagged or flagged somehow. Maybe the next time I go they will tell me that I need to get the plates fixed? But he didn't ask any other questions and we were on our way! Viva La Canada! Fantastique! We had no trouble finding the theater, thanks to Elissa’s keen sense of direction (and the nice street map.) The area the theater was located in is full of shops, restaurants, lounges and clubs. It reminds me of downtown Burbank, but with a few high-rise buildings mixed in. The Cineplex Odeon was one of the theaters hosting the festival. Between Elissa’s and my French, we were able to successfully park the car, pay the parking dude AND buy our tickets for the first screening. There was a schedule that helped out with our film plan. It was hard to decide as we didn’t know the directors, actors or even really the story or theme of the films, but that didn't matter. We were in Montreal!!!

We decided on a Chinese/Canadian film called "Eve and the Fire Horse". It was a really great story about a young girl faced with two different religions and cultures. We took a break after the film to wander the streets of downtown Montreal. Made me wish I had kept up my French. If only I could read what was on that sign.... We opted to check out a few cathedrals and a few stores and in one I found two snowglobes and come chocolates. It was a swell dollar store.

The second film we saw was a German documentary called,"Winter's Children - the Silent Generation". It was about a filmaker's journey to reveal the secrets that his mother held about her Nazi father. I thought it had a good premise. However, the story really wasn't edited very well and the mother really didn't have that much to say about her father, who was a director of re-education for the Nazi party in his small German village. Just not that interesting. I am sure somebody will try to get it nominated for an Academy Award.

The third part of our film adventure brought us to a series of shorts made in the Middle East. There were about 10 films. Mostly the themes were about terrorist bombings. There was one really good one about a pregnant woman who turned out to be a suicide bomber on a bus. No dialogue other than ambient background noise and breathing. The last story, "Rain is Falling" was a sweet and sad Morracan story about a little girl who carries water miles from a well to her sick mother. Then, just after the doctor leaves, the rain begins to leak through the roof. The girl puts containers all around the dirt floor to gather the water. Then she checks on her mother who is in another room. A single trail of water begins to gather and starts to fall just over the mother's head. The girl takes her mother's water glass and holds it over her mother's head to protect her from the rain. At the end of the film, the water glass is just about to overflow, and the girl takes a sip. The end. I really enjoyed watching the films as they inspired me to get on the ball with my short script. I think I will see if I can get somebody to make it. I don't really want to make it myself. Then again....

After the movieating, we strolled down the boulevard and stopped in a
restaurant for dinner. We could read the menu easily for under the French it had a rough translation of what the food was. I took no time in ordering something so touristy of me I am sure you are rolling your eyes - quiche and crepes. OMIGAWD. They were delicious!! I would love to go back there and have more. In fact, I think I could have eaten a whole quiche pie myself! It was really tasty! Elissa and I split the food and after a little café au lait we hit the road for home. Had no trouble passing through the border.

The drive home was thanfully uneventful. I was glad Elissa had her Ipod. We had fun playing tunes. I would love to get one of those. Maybe Santa will bring me one for Christmas. I think I was in my apartment by 11:30 or 12:00. I would really love to go back to Montreal really soon. Maybe Sherri will want to pop up there with me in a few weeks?