Notes from NYC #4
When the plane banked over Seattle, I had minute where it all looked new to me, all that water, all that green. New York is all kinds of magical, but Seattle’s rich jewel tones are undeniably beautiful. I am glad to be home where I was met by the wiggliest dog. I promptly collapsed into a black hole of sleep.
We did not take home the award for our category. Rocco called the winner while we at dinner at a place called The Meatball Shop in Hell’s Kitchen, just up from the theater.
(File under “Things that feel like winning” — dining with your film team at a place called “The Meatball Shop” in Hell’s Kitchen.)
The film that won is called The Seed of Truth, it’s about the persecution of scientists under Stalinism. It’s hard to argue with the importance of that story and it feels timely in an era of raging anti-science politics. It is so wildly different than our film that it’s also hard to be disappointed by the loss. It’s like we showed up with a giraffe to a pie contest. The pie won, but that doesn’t mean our giraffe didn’t turn heads.
Okay, that’s a weird metaphor. I’m tired.
So we’re at dinner at The Meatball Shop, and Rocco speculates that The Seed of Truth is going to win. And Amy says that it doesn’t matter because we were nominated for Best Drama Short at our premiere in New York City. Amy also says that every time I post about our experience we are buried in virtual hearts and flowers and rainbows and unicorns, how my people — that’s you, reading this — are so delighted to have front row seats in our process.
During the award speeches, everyone praised the festival, but they all talked about the collaborative nature of film. You need a story to start with, but you need a script that works and a producer who can find a husky dog and an airplane and an Elvis jumpsuit. You need a cast that can embody your characters and and and… all that stuff has to work together, in sequence.
You also need an audience who loves your work, who are rooting for you to win. Every time you react to our news, it’s like we win, over and over and over again.
New York was great, y’all. We didn’t win, but we totally won.
//Pam