three films, tomato cages
Today "J" and I went to SIFF press screenings. Traffic was light. I parked in the recent usual place (same lot, same space, but not the same car next to me), and joined J in the theater.
The 10 am film, The Blessed, was an Algerian film (mostly in French). A prosperous couple looks for a nice restaurant that will serve them alcohol so they can reminisce about the horrible years of civil war, and argue about their son. The son and other high school age kids loiter. It's well acted, but not much happens.
Update: J talked with someone who knew all about the Algerian civil war of 1991 to 2002, and enjoyed the film a lot - but acknowledged that the film would mean a lot less without that historical knowledge.
The noon film, Brewmaster, is about a handful of people talking about how much they love beer, and studying to learn more about beer. I slept through half of it, and the part I was awake for still felt repetitive. The camera work was excellent and music were good. The highlight of the film was recognizing our friend "S" near the end of the film - but it was a mistaken identity; S hasn't had a drop of beer in decades.
The 2 pm film, Retablo, was a film from Peru about the son (and apprentice) of a master folk artist, who makes painted figurines of real people and of religious icons, and the decorated cabinets that display the figurines. Things get complicated when the son discovered his father's dark secret, and worse when his mother and others find out too. The film proceeds at a very deliberate pace, but I thought it was worth the patience.
After the films, we had a happy hour snack at Pacific Place restaurant. Then I retrieved the car, and we picked up "T" at school. We all went to a new-to-us restaurant which was really good. We left room for dessert too, which meant the ice cream store next door.
When we got home, I rolled a couple of steel meshes into cylindrical tomato cages around the outsides of the planting pots.