Although we’ve been having a blast watching a kooky cornucopia of movies (Paterson, Orange Sunshine, David Lynch: The Art Life, The Trial, 21 x New York, Who’s Crazy, Outtakes From The Life of a Happy Man, Illinois Parables…) and we took a couple hours in the morning to wander around the town (known for its hundreds of gnomes, commemorations of the Polish anti-communist movement known as the Orange Alternative which started in Wrocław in the 1980s), our real purpose here is sharing The Sound We See: LA, Old Crow and Tokyo with local film lovers and filmmakers. Festivals like this can be all about the corporate sponsorship, the business deals and the prizes but artistic director Ula Sniegowska and her amazing team provided a beautiful opportunity for us to insert community side of cinematic engagement into the mix. The sound and image on all three films were stellar (and what a trip to see the Vuntut Gwitchin language subtitled into Polish!), our translator Jerry was terrific, and the audience (including our “Angel” Ania) was enthusiastic and really excited to talk about analog film in the digital age. I have a feeling we’ll be back again, Wrocław!

Today’s highlight at the American Film Festival was not an American film or an American filmmaker but a French one: Agnès Varda in person for an hour-long masterclass covering some of her well-known works and some of her more obscure ones as well. At 88, Agnès continues to work on new films, including one currently in production with artist J.R. (“He’s 55 years younger than me and we get along great!”), as well as exploring new cinematic forms including installations for galleries and museums. A true inspiration.

We’re in Wrocław, Poland for the 7th American Film Festival… and it’s 3 days of non-stop movies for us! Yeah!!!!

Czeching In! Czech It Out! Czech You Later! Rain Czech! Czech Mate! Czechie Cheese!

So many potential blog titles, so little time.

It’s our last day in Prague and we’re sad to leave this dream world. So here’s a monster medley from singer and amateur painter Karel Gott (elected Most Favorite Male Singer in Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic 49 times!!!!) with love from me to you.

We rode the elevator of death…and lived!

We are loving Letná, the off-the-beaten track neighborhood across the Vltava River from Old Town where we’re staying during our Prague sojourn. What’s to love? Number One: no tourists. And then, well, there’s a zillion cafés serving sweet treats and sumptuous lattes, including the lovely Café Letka right next door. There are free movies at a labyrinthian Steampunk squat and cheap movies at a 1930s cinema and all the movies are about eastern european Roma people and have the most incredible soundtracks. There’s authentic Czech food and big friendly waitresses.There’s an outdoor beer garden with breathtaking views of Old Town. There’s big headed black beer on tap. There are cute trams filled with people at all hours of the day and night. There’s the National Technical Museum that contains everything ever made in the Czech republic. There’s an incredible thrift store with really awesome postcards for 10 cents. There are “elevators of death“. There are giant parks. There are glamorous apartment buildings with cherubs and wrought iron gates, there are brutalist concrete office blocks, there are art deco shops, there are mid-century modern pavillions. There’s art: high AND low. There’s nonstop služba. And did I mention the dogs?

They’re everywhere… even in the cinema!

Prague! Here’s a taste…