May, 2007

School trip in the morning

Location Apartment for six, party zone of Chamonix. Nothing else left. | Mood Scared | Date 25 February 2006
We're going to try and ski / film there?? Photograph: Charlotte Rushton  

Human race may as well destroy themselves

Location Train from Paris to St Gervais | Mood Human race may as well destroy themselves | Date 23 February 2006
Missed our night train to Chamonix after the Eurostar broke down and deposited us in Paris two hours late. So then we had four hours’ sleep in a dodgy hotel, the first train South, unfortunately full of what we are assuming are gonnabe soldiers. We'd been hoping to catch up on some sleep, but they put a stop to that. Then I cracked my tooth on, of all things, a crisp. Looks like the first job in Chamonix will be to find a dentist.    

McLibel hits the cinema nine years later

Location BBC Broadcasting House | Mood School reunion | Date 15 February 2006
Interviews all day for McLibel UK cinema release. Been signed up by very sweet distributors who are acting like it's the first ever screening. Helen, Dave and me are all jaded - has been nine yeas since our first ever screening, after all - but trying to be enthusiastic. Revelation (the distributors) seem to have got tonnes of press interest - press preview the other day was packed and none of the journos left till the end, which is apparently the best you can hope for.

Going into the sadness

Location Pub opposite De Lane Lea, Soho | Mood Strangely isolated, as though everyone is talking about someone else's film | Date 9 February 2006
Second funding evening tonight. Last time we were asking for 500 quid a punt, this time it was 5000. Which seems an enormous amount of money to me, but didn't seem to cause too many raised eyebrows. We slightly picked the number out of a hat - but then said people could also get a "half loan" – i.e. 2500. Played the trailer tonight. First time we've had Crude up on the big screen. Seemed pretty coherent to me. Everyone loved Fernand. Friendly Funder spoke again and was even better than last time.

"You'll be kissing goodbye to your cash..."

Location Chained to Avid in office making Crude trailer | Mood Spaced out | Date 2 February 2006
I've made trailers of other films and they take only a few days. But that's when you're making one from the finished film, I now realise. Whereas we've got 87 hours of footage and not much idea of what we're trying to do. Even watching all that would be more time than we have - 5 days of David The Editor.

20,000 pounds in the kitty

Location Head in toilet at home | Mood Self-pitying | Date 25 January 2006
Human pyramid with the Guy Family, Fernand & Fernand's wife (Nicole) Photograph: Charlotte Rushton

A mini celebrity in the greasy spoon

Location Greasy spoon cafe in Old St | Mood Black humour | Date 11 January 2006
Osteopath Simon - together with painkillers Nurofen - worked a small miracle on my back, to the extent that I can now do everything except play the piano. Apparently I had twisted a rib which was poking into a lung and causing me to squeal every time I breathed in. The camera equipment and French Alps have owned up.

Excruciating pain

Location Lying flat on floor of office | Mood Rising panic | Date 8 January 2006
The typical amount of gear we carry around would be enough to do anyone's back in Photograph: Charlotte Rushton  

Minus 9000 pounds in the Crude account

Location Spanner Films office (aka spare room in stepmum's flat) | Mood In need of inspiration | Date 3 January 2006
Well, that was a depressing Xmas and New Year surrounded by reproducing family units. And it is of course a well-known fact that you can either be a filmmaker or have successful personal relationships. Still, as Helen Steel says, it's not that she feels great for fighting McLibel, it's that she would have felt much worse if she hadn't. I'd hate myself forever if I chose babies or comfort over Crude.

I'm in love! With an 81-year-old!

Location Hotel with WIFI access down the road from our apartment | Mood Euphoric | Date 14 December 2005
Who could help but fall in love with Fernand?