I’m getting up scarily early tomorrow to catch a plane, but I couldn’t go to bed without a quick note about this evening. Penny and I and quite a few other people were extras in the film Alex is making as part of his year-long director’s course at AFTRS. That’s the Australian Film Television and Radio School. We spent hours standing around being bored, and minutes sitting in front of the camera – at least I was sitting, pretending to eat disgusting noodles, while Penny had a more upright role, wearing an anti-infection mask. I loved seeing – and being a small part of – the well-oiled machinery of a film shoot in action, and I especially loved seeing the way the two actors, in the midst of so much noise and busyness, managed to make something happen between them. All this happened beneath the roar of the Expressway in Pyrmont, close to the city. I took a number of blurry photos with my phone camera. No time for more – here is Alex with actor Richard Green (of Boxing Day fame), a masked Penny, Alex in a variety of directorial moments (including one with Anna Lise Phillips with an umbrella – did I mention it rained a fair bit? Anna Lise lent me her hoodie), and the disgusting noodles.
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Reading & watching- Charité Series 1 (Sönke Wortmann 2017) 19 February 2019A German series about a famous 19th century hospital where a number of Nobel laureates worked. Story told with an eye to the gender politics.
- Mrs Wilson (Richard Laxton 2018) 19 February 2019Amazingly, this story of an Englishman who managed to have at least four families, almost all unknown to each other until his death, is based on a memoir by one of the wives, Alison Wilson. Just three episodes, which is excellent, suggesting as it does that there are plenty of secrets not yet unearthed.
- In the Long Run (Idris Elba 2018) 16 February 2019This is a wonderful show featuring an African immigrant family in London in the 1980s, tucked away on ABC Comedy. It takes a while to recognise Idris Elba as the genial father. Sadly it looks as if there are only 7 episodes. We started watching it after seeing If Beale Street Could Talk at the movies – it's an excellent pairing.
- If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins 2018) 15 February 2019The same slow pace as Moonlight, the same lingering on beautiful black faces and bodies, plus a reverential treatment of a James Baldwin novel make this a striking film. I wasn't completely pulled into the mood, and found myself thinking about the movie rather than being immersed, but it's pretty bloody great.
- A Very English Scandal (Stephen Frears 2018) 11 February 2019Written by Russell T Davies, starring Ben Wishaw as an emotionally voltile young man and Hugh Grant as a politician with lots of charm to which the viewer is immune, this is terrific.
- Charité Series 1 (Sönke Wortmann 2017) 19 February 2019
Bong Vogidge. Hope you can find a moment to keep us up with your doings.
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