Friday was a great day both for the film, for my continuing education in the possibilities of what a talented person can do with Super 8 film, and in experiencing another country and culture.
Saturday was just as good. We spent the morning exploring the city. Today was much different from the other days because the streets were packed with shoppers (it was Saturday after all). We visited a street market place, some shops, bought some souvenirs - tourist stuff.
We tracked down the Zoology Department Museum on Downing Street. It was a bland looking museum - just glass cases packed with animal displays and biological artifacts, many times without any notes or explanation other than the species name. Not at all a modern day museum - it was much more a public warehouse of sorts. But we were here to see something in particular: Darwin. Downstairs, hidden away in some odd corner of the room, completely inconspicuously were three of the original finches collected by Darwin. Also, a beetle collection, notes from his journal during his voyage on the HMS Beagle, and other priceless items.
It just re-emphasized the fact of so many amazing thinkers and ideas were tied to this city. And to think that these items were just there - under some glass, without any real promotion or attention drawn to them. It seemed like such an unusual thing.
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After our visit to the museum we walked up through the square and towards the screening venue. Today they were showing a feature-length film entitled "I for India." It was partly Super 8, partly other formats, about an Indian family that relocated to England. It followed their family's struggles through two generations, beginning in the 1960s and continuing through to the mid-90s. It was an excellent story, very well told, and the footage was brilliant.
After the film we met and spoke with some of our new friends, from England, France, and Brazil. We discussed film and had tea. Then, after having tea, we walked down the street to a pub and had a beer and talked some more.
Remy, myself, and Adam, spent much of this time discussing Super 8's and short film's place in today's movie world. It was a good discussion that I won't go into. The basic conclusions we came to were that: there is a place for short films, we just need to find a way to package and sell the idea to theaters, audiences, and executive producers.
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We left Cambridge this morning, ending our film part of the trip and beginning our climbing and exploring portion of the trip. We arrived this afternoon in Castleton, within the Peak District National Park. First thing we did was drop our stuff off in our youth hostel room and truck it up the hill to Peveril Castle. After that we roamed around town for a while and eventually stopped at George's Pub where I had fish and chips and Adam had rabbit pot pie. No, I'm not making that up.
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Almost forgot to mention (back to the film thing, since this is supposed to be about film) I have been shooting some Super 8 while I've been here. I shot about a roll and a half in Cambridge. I am working on the second half of the second roll (tri-x black and white film) and will most likely shoot that tomorrow.
I've got plenty of footage and pics so far but it will have to wait.
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