At The Note

Well, folks, I shook Robert Schneider's hand - twice. Essentially my festival experience goes downhill from here. I mean, sure, it's nice to see Schneider's Apples in Stereo play - not to mention Casper & the Cookies, Scream Club, and the hype bullet train that is Mucca Pazza - but nothing replaces that one-on-one connection, however brief it may be. Sure, as per always when I meet a musical idol, I tripped all over myself with "awe-shucks" and boundless praise, but to his credit Mr. Schneider took it all in stride. More of concern to him was the mysterious disappearance of his lucky red space pen - it writes UPSIDE DOWN, people - somewhere amongst his band's equipment. If you see any writing utensil matching the above description, report to the Blue Note post haste.

The show has yet to begin... Beck's "Mutations" album plays over the speakers, and people are just lounging about right now before things kick off. I certainly need these brief idle moments to collect my breath... and blog, of course. Time for two more quick movie sums?

"Super Amigos" - superheroes are real - at least in Mexican politics. Capitalizing on the popularity of Lucha Libre wrestlers, an assortment of masked do-gooders travel the political landscape of Mexico City, using their bright costumes and winning personalities to draw people to their respective causes. Director Arturo Perez Torres focuses in on five crusaders in particular, stitching their stories together with an entirely appropriate comic book motif. At times, the pace fell off a bit, but overall, it was a fascinating angle to take on the crises that affect not just Mexico, but the continent at large - homophobia, environmental crises, orphans, animal rights violations, and the gentrification of downtown communities.

"Welcome Europa" - welcome, indeed. Director Bruno Helmer's vision of Europe - as refracted through a cast of neglected but determined immigrants - is all grayscale grime, replete with male prostitution, fascist police, and the tears of all the unfortunate souls who came and failed to find the paradise they sought. The film takes of careening all over the European content - Holland, Spain, Germany - and everywhere the same spirit of hopeless struggle pervades. Certainly, not an easy film to stomach - but it's as necessary an exercise as any product at the festival. If documentaries are to be accurate reflections of reality, then idealistic fantasy must be shattered in the process.

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Casper & the Cookies have started! Off to film!