Tif Sigfrids and George Porcari film collaboration & panel discussion at LACMA
Waiting for Brainard" is a short movie based on "The Bakery Girl of Monceau" by Eric Rohmer (1963)
This past Monday, Art Catalogues and Dagny Corcoran at LACMA presented: George Porcari, and Tif Sigfrids as they screened their collaborative film "Waiting for Brainard." following the original Rohmer film, but not before a comfortably long popcorn and wine break. The room was full of beanbags and little camping stools. The friendliness this created immediately made it more intimate instead of formal and dry, as some screenings and panel discussions can be. I know you know what I'm talking about.
Tif and George took the Rohmer film and did a gender and location switch, with a smattering of content revision. It was set in Silver Lake, an area I am well acquainted with since I have lived there for 11 years. The narrator was Hedi El Kholti, and his voice served as the (very French) main character's internal monologue, the main character being Tif. It was fascinating to see the two films back to back, since so much was changed, but the backbone of text remained the same while the man's voice was still a man's voice but the main character was a woman whose thoughts were projected by Hedi's characteristic sensual drawl. Very disconcerting and affective. Here is Hedi flanked by two very attractive women:
Here is a synopsis of the original Rohmer film from criterion.com: *Simple, delicate, and jazzy, the first of the “Moral Tales” shows the stirrings of what would become the Eric Rohmer style: unfussy naturalistic shooting, ironic first-person voice-over, and the image of the “unknowable” woman. A law student with a roving eye and a large appetite stuffs himself full of sugar cookies and pastries daily in order to garner the attentions of the pretty brunette who works in a quaint Paris bakery. But is he truly interested, or is she just a sweet diversion? *
In Tif and George's version the man was a woman, the pastries were Kombucha's, a popular health tonic, and Paris was Silver Lake. It was funny and thought provoking. I'd remembered the Rohmer character as unfeeling and cruel from when I'd seen it a while back. The Silver Lake version seemed so much more friendly and not as mean. Seeing the Rohmer again that night I realized the reason I remembered it as cruel was that the main character was very physically forceful on the object of his whims, the bakery girl. Tif's character was persistent, but not physical at all, and smiling much of the time. And here is George standing near a foreigner:
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It was a spirited event, and I think people really connected to the motivations of the filmmakers. It was followed by a discussion between the filmmakers and Russell Ferguson, Chair of the Art Department at UCLA. Here is a picture of Russell, Tif and Hedi after the screenings:
Cast: Hedi El Kholti Tif Sigfrids Bradney Evans Kate Wolf Christopher Michael Stewart
music by Chris Stroffolino
http://www.youtube.com/wat?ch?v=1F4H3OH78sQ