Sunday, April 1

Today is April Fools Day! It is also the anniversary of our beloved Shih Tzu's birthday. We miss her so much.

We were up around 7 a.m., and after breakfast, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, where she prepared veggies (onions, carrots, potatoes) for a pork roast. I put the browned roast, with the veggies, along with spices...no-salt seasoning, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, basil, paprika, and rosemary...as well as a can of low sodium chicken broth and a can of low-sodium beef broth, into the slow cooker.

After that, I did usual Sunday morning things...program the DVR, throw a couple of loads of laundry in the washer, etc. I also completed a monthly report for the Literacy Council.

We had our lunch early, at 11:30, because the Film Festival began at 12:30 today. The roast and veggies, with gravy, and individual cups of cinnamon apple sauce was delicious. I accompanied Mother back to her house afterward.

Hubbie spent his time in the yard this morning, and then shopped for groceries and took the upstairs bathroom rugs to the laundry, before returning to the yard this afternoon.

The first film today was a documentary featuring interviews of 30 of our state's artists and photographers. I know a few of the interviewees. I really enjoyed this film.

The second feature was animated. It revolved around a vacationing couple, the husband of which is caught up in the idea of serial killers. The couple was to be picked up by a friend, but instead a taxi driver informs them the friend has sent him. The farther they travel, the more convinced the couple becomes that the driver is the Zodiac Killer. A pair of gloves and a spade in the front seat, a zippered case that they think contains a gun, but which turns out to be a fishing rod, etc. seem to be indications. They become petrified when the driver takes an alternate route through the woods, so they begin planning ways to leave clues for the police. Finally, the couple is delivered safely to the friend's house.

A third feature documentary was about a young Cambodian dancer that caught the eye of the filmmaker. She arranges for him to come to America and study ballet. Even though he is seventeen years old...much older than most children beginning ballet...his natural talent and charisma transforms him into a sought-after performer.

In a related documentary, an 88-year-old ballet teacher in our state is featured. She inspires and motivates her students to the highest level of achievement. I was amazed at what she pulled out of those young ladies, without physically demonstrating the moves (because she was unable to). Those girls looked like professional dancers after her training.

The fourth film was the classic movie, "Little Fugitive." This 1953 black and white feature was shot with a handheld camera by Independent filmmaker pioneer, Morris Engel. All other independent films sprang from this movie. A seven-year-old boy is convinced he has shot his brother to death, and he runs away from home to Coney Island, where, with only a dollar in his pocket, he has all sorts of adventures. Of course, he did not kill his brother...his brother and two friends just pulled a prank on him with a blank shell and ketchup.

He is gone two days and a night, while his mother is away tending to a sick relative. His older brother, who was charged with taking care of him, finally finds him, before the mother returns home. To keep the movie from appearing jerky with the handheld camera, the filmmaker held the camera tight to his body, and carefully chose where action was to take place. It's a really good, sharply focused, movie, with a fun story line.

I returned home after this movie, where Hubbie had heated leftover veggie soup for our supper. After supper, I went to Mother's house to help her take a shower, and throw a load of laundry in the washer. I discovered that Mother had already drug one of the clothes hampers down to the washer. When I asked why she had done that, she said she needed to wash a pair of black pants. I didn't understand how the hamper had anything to do with that, since her black pants were in her bedroom. She then said she needed clean underwear. I assured her I would see that all her laundry was washed, but I'd prefer she not endanger herself by dragging stuff like hampers through the house.

At 8 p.m., Hubbie accompanied me to the last movie of this year's Film Festival. This was a subtitled Italian movie about a small provincial village in Italy in 1942. Several scenarios played out: three friends learn about a buried treasure from a stranger in town and go in search of it. A fourth friend, on his way to the treasure hunt, dies in a motorcycle accident. A woman has an affair with a man, and her boyfriend kills him. A man goes to war, and his wife dies of pneumonia while he's gone.

It's a very good independent film, and we enjoyed it. The director of the film festival told us that he received the film "over the transom" as it were. Though unsolicited, he was very glad to get it, and we're very glad, too. The filmmaker was looking for film festivals anywhere in the world that would agree to show the movie. It's a shame that so few people turned out to see it. But after three days of films, I guess most folks' eyeballs were about to fall out.

I saw all but two of the offerings, so I got the very most out of my $20 "Red Eye" pass...saving nearly $50. I saw about 27 films, some very short, some full-length, some very good, some not so good, but all interesting.

It was about 9:30 before we got back home, and it wasn't long until we headed to bed.