Today, a visit to Michel Gondry’s Home Movie Factory, currently set up at Roodkapje Rotterdam. The Home Movie Factory invites people of all ages and backgrounds “to (re)connect with their creativity” through the filmmaking process. In three hours, a group of 8 or fewer (often complete strangers) work together in selecting a film title and genre, writing an outline and shot sequence (must have beginning, middle and end!), and then acting/filming it in sequence with all editing done in-camera. Groovy sets, props, costumes and a video camera are provided. The session ends with a viewing of the finished film for the group and anybody else who happens to be hanging out. Paolo, Florian, Leslie and I are joined by first-time filmmakers Marianne and Marlyn and the fun begins. Meshes of the Unbareable Green, our experimental-camp-nature-comedy, tells the tale of an extraordinary pillow who, after a perilous journey from bedroom to forest and back to bed again, realizes he’s just a victim of the formula after all. Not coming soon to a theater near you.
