London Film Festival: Days six to 12

More gossip from the 51st edition of the fest.

by Paul Griffiths

Day 7: Tuesday 23rd

(Absolutely nothing happened in all of London today. And nobody said anything to anyone. At all.)

Day 8: Wednesday 24th

At the world premiere of writer-director Joanna Hogg’s excellent debut Unrelated, focusing on a childless woman trying to deal with a troubled marriage and the menopause, a lady asks her companion how his day has been: “Arrgh! Locked horns with this other partner today. She’s this old, really bitter political woman. Political. Pisses me off! Interviewing for another secretary as well. I interviewed five women, complete waste of time.”

Pause.

“I just don’t want to get involved with the politics. It’s a complete fucking waste of time.”

There is no reply.

Day 8: Thursday 25th

Overheard: “Yeah, I’ve seen Death Proof. He can do boy talk, but he can’t do girl talk so well.”

Colin Firth emerges from the screening of Into The Wild, spotted by two girls and a boy.

Girl 1: “Hey look, there’s someone famous.”

Boy: “What?

Girl 2: “Who is it?”

Girl 1: “It’s …”

Boy: “Hey. I’m famous!”

Girl 2: You are, you’re more famous than him.”

Boy: “I am.”

Girl 1: “Colin. It’s Colin somebody. Oh, what’s his name? Colin …”

Girl 2: “McCavoy…?”

Girl 1: “Gawd. That’s my first famous person!”

Day 9: Friday 26th

Just before the screening of his new film Mister Lonely, Harmony Korine invites his cast onto the stage. James Fox trips his way up the steps.

Just after Harmony Korine has applauded the cast of his new film on stage, James Fox falls clean off it.

Outside the screening of Mister Lonely two people in the crowd are carrying huge advertising boards, for “Comedy Tickets”.

Day 10 Saturday 27th

Phone call: “Well it just fucks me right off! … I’m a documentary filmmaker. I’m a documentary filmmaker. I'm ... What do you think I do? What do you think I do?? I’m making a film for the BBC, that MAKES me a documentary filmmaker!”

Day 12: Monday 29th

Laura Linney arrives at the premiere of The Savages. A chorus swells in the crowds:

“She’s in Love Actually” “Love Actually” “Love Actually?” “Love Actually” “er… Love Actually” “LOVE ACTUALLY!!” “Love Actually” “Love. Actually” “Love Actually” “Love, Actually” “Love Actually” “Love Actually” “Lovactually” “Love Actually” “Love Actually and … and … Congo!”

Day 13: Tuesday 30th

Director Asif Kapadia describes filming his Arctic tundra-set Far North in temperatures of minus 40 degrees plus wind chill: “It was pretty cold.”

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Precision filmmaking Casey Walker on setting rules, layering complexity, and making Home Bodies

A dangerous woman Rebecca De Mornay on finding characters' truth and making The Gentleman Thief

Divine transformation Eriko Katagiri on the itako tradition and When You Open The Door

Learning to let go Gloria Mercer and Bethany Brown on filming sex, drugs and A Safe Distance

Framing a feature Michele Fiascaris on expanding his short Rain Catcher into a rain-slicked noir thriller

A heroine of the people Avid Liongoren on the Filipino animation industry and Zsazsa Zaturnnah

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