GANZ EINFACH ZUM KOMPLETTANSCHULUSS
Its a good thing i left for Berlin a few days early. There is so much work to do with this Berlinale installation, Cheap Gossip Studio, that will be the focal point of the Forum Expanded section of the film festivale. All this takes place at my home away from home, the film forum kino, Arsenal; which is run with a masterly touch by sweet Stephanie with help by Nanna and a delightful crew of people.
My portion of the festival is under the heading Cinema Beyond Its Boundaries-video art, experimental and undeground films. The art kollective Cheap will present the Gossip Studio in the Atrium that includes a sexual repulsives cocktail bar, lounge area or petting zoo as i like to refer to it, a Cheap shop with special art objects created especially for the Berlinale by Cheap members for sale, beauty moments, a text salon provided by b books that also includes their long running elektronic soap opera Ping Pong D'Amour, films by German experimental film gura Birgit Hein and also works by Canuck Guy Maddin and Marie Losier. In the Red Gallery is a photo exhibit by Sam Siegel, the celebrity grandfather photog of Cheap's Marc Siegel. That is where my short subject "Granpa Sam" will play and there is also a Basement Roof Garden where my little musical "La Petite Tokinoise" will screen with videos by Ms. Losier and Shannon Plumb. There is so much going on i hope i don't forget to mention anything or anyone.
On my second night back in Berlin, i went to the underground series that Marcu Siegel curates for the Arsenal. The joint was packed with cuties like Vassily, the Greek God, and Belgian hottie Michel Belague. The movies screened were Edie Sedgewick's Screen Test where she is just beyond gorgeous. I'm sorry Sienna Miller can't compare. I've heard terrible things about the new Factory Girl movie, but in all fairness i haven't seen it. There was also the Mary Woronov and Ondine screentests, the film "Mrs. Warhol" featuring Andy's mamma and his super beautiful young boy plaything of that moment, Richard Rheem,who really has quite the personality. The movie "Since" about the re-created assassination of JFK add nauseau featuring Ms. Woronov as Jack Kennedy, Ingrid Superstar, Ondine and humpy Gerald Melanga with Ronnie Cutrone
Also got to see a preview of Esther Robinson's documentary about her uncle Danny Williams who was one of Warhol's boyfriends who just disapeared one day. The documentary is pretty good with John Cale and Brigit Berlin really making quite an impression. I got to meet the wonderful Jerry Tartaglia who has remastered so much of the Jack Smith ouvre with glorious results. "I Was a Male Yvonne DeCarlo" is beyond any genius that we know today.
Got held hostage after the press screening by a lonely middle aged journalista who took me to lunch and dinner and grillled me over the coals for hours. I don't remember his name, and somehow i lost his card, but he told me he wrote for Vanity Fair, The New York Times, Washington Post and some German newspapers. Something tells me he is delusional, but he did seem to know Wendy Stark Morrissey, the West Coast Editor of Vanity Fair, so who knows.
Being the movie whure woman i am, this little lady is just in hogatha heaven when it comes to seeing lots of free films. My crazy jet lag though makes it difficult to sit through movies, i keep falling asleep. Hopefully my body will catch up to the imperious time change, before the Berlinale kicks off into high gear Feb 9th.
Had to take time off from the Berlinale schedule to do some German burocracy like get registered as a major criminal with the city government, which is a must to being a permanent resident here, and also going to the foreigner's office and applying for me artist visa, which went rather smoothly thanks to Fearless Leader Suzi and her assistant at the theatre sexy young cutie pie Lars. I also paid two months rent for a sublet in Kruetzberg that i move in to tomorrow. This hot young French film editor Julian Binet will be working in London and i will rent his apartment. I also have a strong lead on a more permanent space that opens up in April, thanks to once again Fearless Leader Suzi Su. My Cheapies know how to take care of this pittiful black woman child.
Sexy green eyed Slovenian artist Davide Grassi was in town for a music festival. We tried to connect at Club Marie, but it didn't work out. Tim Blue of Cheap and I did meet this saucy young, muscular composer named Nicholi, and it was lovely meeting such a personable and truelly interesting boy who is very easy on the hairy eyeball.
Last night we filmed in Nanna's office my little Entertainment 2nite parody, which was a lot of fun, though i was exhausted. Pretty Ruth who edited my Berlin Stories from 2004 was the cinematographer and will work on the final editra for this project that will be shown every night at 6pm in the Gossip Studio Installation. All i can say is that it will be ill.