Team Bowling

If you must commit suicide... always contrive to do it as decorously as possible; the decencies, whether of life or of death, should never be lost sight of.
-- George Borrow

Friday, May 21, 1999
One year ago: Pre-Festival
Two years ago: Between Art and Life

The SDK and User Ed team had an outing this afternoon. To aid our solidarity and morale, we went bowling! This was fun, so long as we didn't take the game too seriously. I think the last time I was bowling was for Luke's birthday last summer. Unfortunately I forgot this was happening today, so I didn't put my bowling gear in the car, and was forced to make do with rented shoes and house ball. I didn't do too badly, though, rolling a ninety or so on the first game and 120 on the second game. I bailed then, so I could get to the film festival on time.

A---, my film festival buddy, was waiting for me at the Broadway Performance Hall.

• Bent Familia
  (IMDB page for this movie) This is a story about three well-educated North African women living in Tunis, dealing with family and relationships and the problems women face living in that region. I liked this! The actresses were great, and the male characters weren't monsters -- they were just fallible and lacked the imagination to break free of their cultural conditioning. I thought that Leila Nassim, who was the protagonist, looked like Ingrid Bergman, but A--- didn't agree at all.

• Nô
  (IMDB page for this movie) A story that connnects the Osaka World's Fair with the early days of the Quebec Separatist movement, both happening in 1970. This has some humor (the female lead is acting in a French farce at the Canadian pavilion at the fair) but I wouldn't call it a farce, as some reviewers have. Worth seeing, I think.

• Ikinai
  (IMDB page for this movie) A group of Japanese businessmen make a suicide pact: they all have their reasons for wanting to die, so they'll form a "club" and charter a bus trip on a dangerous road. The bus driver, hostess, and tour operator are also looking for death. By going this way, insurance and government money will pay their families. But at the last minute, the niece of one of the tour members is substituted. She knows nothing of the plan and is a happy girl who doesn't want to die, at all! This is a slightly dark comedy that I liked a lot! Very good.

I call this a successful film festival evening, since I enjoyed all three movies. The only thing I forgot was to bring some food along!