Surprise Me!
February 22nd, 2011When I go to the Portland International Film Festival (Feb. 10-26), I choose which films to see in a different way than almost everyone else. I don’t want to read the excerpts or the reviews. I don’t want to know what the film is about and I don’t want to hear anyone talk about it. My favorite thing is to sit in the dark theater and wait for the movie to begin, my head a “tabula rasa.” How exciting to wait and see how the story unfolds.
Of course I can do this because I have a Silver Screen Pass which lets me into everything in the VIP line. I am totally spoiled by this and I admit it. I do check out which country the film is from and I very cursorily look to see if it is perhaps too violent or depressing for me — I prefer good stories, human interest, comedies, relationships over war and murder and inhumanity.
Every time I see a film on the big screen there is a frisson of excitement but PIFF provides 17 days of this exciting interaction. I love the Portland audience. They are so into this festival.
Year 34: 88 features, 42 shorts, 6 venues and a lot of surprises!
