Diary

Toasting our survival

Location Classic Alpine chalet, Morzine, France | Mood Frustrated | Date 17 September 2005

Francesco Frangialli is surely the busiest man in the world ever. He flew ten times around the world last year. But we've managed to coordinate a one-hour slot in his schedule, between New York and Namibia, in which we can pick him up from Geneva airport, drive him to the Chamonix glaciers and film him talking with a local expert about how far they've melted. Everything goes swimmingly... planes, hire cars, trains, equipment, expert, Francesco... until... fog.

In captivity

Location Holding cell in the Indian airline office | Mood Tearing hair out with boredom | Date 25 August 2005

The Chinese water torture is nothing to the Indian "After Some Time" method. What happens is that you meet up with someone who is, for example, starting up a new low-cost airline and who you are hoping to, say, feature in your documentary. They say that they are going to meet with you, but first just have to finish something, so please wait in this small room that looks suspiciously like a police cell (and I've been inside an Indian police cell or two in my time) .

Sold 100th Crude share

Location SF office (in my house) | Mood Internal satisfaction | Date 25 June 2005

John Battsek convincing people to fund Crude McLibel finally made it onto BBC2 a few weeks back - a mere ten years since I started - which ramped up the Spanner Films publicity 10000% and meant we today sold our 100th Crude share, I

First confirmed Crude character

Location Outside the (closed) Eurostar office at Paris train station | Mood Incredulous to not be cold lying on stone floor in shorts and t-shirt in middle of night. Good old global warming. | Date 14 June 2005

Our plan to save a few quid on non-exchangeable Eurostar tickets has backfired and left us spending the night in a Paris train station. (Could have got a hotel for four hours, but felt too bad spending our sponsors' cash). Lizzie is sleeping next to me, but I'm not sure we should leave 10,000 quids worth of camera equipment unguarded all night. So I'm texting friends in different time zones, finally listening properly to the brilliant Holy Joy album (as heard on McLibel) and updating this threadbare diary.

Paris Airshow

Location Sitting on floor in corridor in weird Chinese-owned hotel in Paris as only place where WIFI works | Mood Annoyed | Date 12 June 2005

Airbus's mockup of their really really big new plane at Paris Airshow.

17,500 quid in the kitty

Location Lying on sofa at home, Camden | Mood Relief | Date 14 December 2004

I can't remember being really scared about anything for a long, long time. Walking home through the woods aged 17 after watching Silence of the Lambs is still my worst ever. And getting locked up and given tea by the dam construction company on our first night in India was fairly terrifying.

Signed up John Battsek today

Location Bus back from Tottenham Court Rd | Mood Very excited. Toes tapping | Date 20 May 2004

Two years have passed since thinking of the idea for the film. Been busy finishing Drowned Out and making a DVD of McLibel.

A film about oil

Location In bed at home in Camden | Mood Quietly confident | Date 26 June 2002

I was snowboarding through perfect powder yesterday, so didn't really want to wake up and answer the phone. But it did insist on ringing and ringing on the landline and then the mobile and then the landline, till I suddenly panicked that my dad was dead and leapt to it. It was my filmmaking friend Alex Cooke, wondering why I was asleep at 7.45pm when we were meeting in Kings Cross at 7.30pm to go to a documentary seminar. She was remarkably understanding and suggested we forget it, but - thankfully, thankfully - I felt bad and cycled down there quick.

A film about oil

Location In bed at home in Camden, North London | Mood Quietly confident | Date 26 June 2002

Was snowboarding through perfect powder yesterday afternoon, so didn't want to wake up and answer the phone. But it did insist on ringing and ringing on the landline and then the mobile and then the landline, till I suddenly panicked that my dad was dead and leapt to it. It was my filmmaking friend Alex Cooke, wondering why I was asleep at 7.45pm when we were meeting in Kings Cross at 7.30pm to go to a documentary seminar.