Home and screening

The outdoor screening last Sunday was memorable. I was quite anxious beforehand - what would people feel about seeing themselves - or not seeing themselves, if their part had been cut out?

Steve introduced the film and said something about the Pol Project. Here is a short clip of Palak translating Steve's speech to the audience...it was quite strange filming at this point, being an observer of my own event:

Dhal ni Pol screening from Amanda Ravetz on Vimeo.

First I showed the 15 minute film ENTRY. There was lots of clapping and laughter when different people appeared on screen.

Then I began screening the rushes as requested, but soon the audience got restless, so we speeded the film up and that was better received.

Some people wanted to see the amazing dancing I'd filmed on the Saturday night when Mayur and family and friends had made an enormous rangoli with hundreds of lamps (I'll post some video of it soon). So I ran back to Arts Reverie and got the tape to project directly from the camera.

Eventually it was 10.30pm - an hour and half after beginning - and time to finish.

Now I'm home in Manchester. CJ and Steve are working around the clock to get the different installations and exhibitions done. I feel sad not to be there and also hugely appreciative of their efforts and those of Lokesh and Palak to finish things off. Lokesh skyped me last night. It was 2am and he was still working. It was good to talk again.

I'm home now, but in my imagination I'm still in Dhal ni Pol.