Monday, July 31, 2006

Mexico City Wrap-up

The screenings in Mexico City went amazingly well. We had a great audience and there was a very lively Q&A after the screening. I managed to do all my press interviews and the introduction and Q&A (with a little help) in Spanish. So if there are suddenly strange quotes from me popping up - it was because I didn't know what I was saying. I met Luis Calazada (Quality Films) the Mexican distributor of These Girls and found out that it will be getting a commercail theatrical release there in September. He also insisted that we eat fried worms at lunch and I have to say they were tasty, crunchy and toasted outside with a soft pasty center. I will post any updates as I get them - I can't wait to see the Mexican version of the poster.

Above is a photo of the center courtyard at la Cineteca National - what a great place to watch a movie. Thanks to Ana Cruz Navarro, Mariana Padilla Lopez and Roberto Garza for hosting the festival and for taking such good care of us.


Thanks to the Canadian Embassy, Jeff Marder, Luis Archundia (academic Affairs and Audiovisual Industry Relations Officer) and The Film Circuit, Robin Rhodes and especially our driver (on loan from the Embassy) Ernesto.

Pictured here from left to right (and standing in front of The Beast). Ernesto, Jeff Marder, Robin Rhodes and Luis Archundia.

It was amazing to watch Ernesto maneuver The Beast through the crowded and crazy streets of the city. A space the size of a Volkswagen would open up beside us in full on speeding traffic and Ernesto would miraculously change lanes - every time I was sure there would be the sickening sound of metal on metal - but we bobbed and weaved through improbably calamitous situations with the grace of a gazelle. Ernesto had the manner of a true zen master, he never broke a sweat, and he never raised his voice - I never saw even a hint of stress cross his face.

I am awaiting some more lively photos to be emailed to me, so stay tuned for more Mexico stories.

4 Comments:

Blogger Jo said...

Not surprsingly, this "blogger's" profile doesn't appear to be public property. I wonder why ...

Glad to learn that you had a great time in Mexico.

When are we going to get a screening in the UK? I've run out of annual leave for the year, so as long as it's on a Saturday night and I can get back from wherever on the Sunday, count me (and my friend Anne, probably) in.

Give me an e-mail address - I'll happily pester the distributor!!

2:24 p.m.  
Blogger Red Devil said...

It's about time we started a 'These Girls UK' campaign. I'll see if I can come up with some contact info for some distributors over there.

10:25 a.m.  
Blogger Red Devil said...

Willowtree - glad you liked the music. There should have been a soundtrack CD but I guess we will all have to assemble the soundtrack ourselves on our iPods. I will post a full list soon - just in case people can't read the DVD credits - which are very small.

5:56 p.m.  
Blogger Jo said...

Small doesn't describe it - you need a scanning electron microscope to be able to read the print!

I think it's great that films seem to be using music that already exists, rather than having the whole lot written specially. As with These Girls, bands who wouldn't normally get exposure outside their 'cult following' are brought to a wider audience.

If you ever need music that has a Scottish/Brazillian (although he's impossible to pigeonhole genre-wise) feel to it - try Paul Mounsey. I would love to see a film with his music as the soundtrack.

3:54 a.m.  

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