Stories behind forgotten walls…..
If your German is up to it there is a wonderful event happening at the Soviet Pavilion at the Alte Messe this weekend. A documentary is being shown by a group of independent film makers which tells the stories behind some of Leipzig’s beautiful ruins. These are stunning architectural spaces, tunnels and cellars which have lain dormant for the last 20 years…waiting for a fairy godmother to bring them back to life (though I do like them in their ruin form).
The première takes place on 30.03.12 at 20:00. Further showings will take place on 31.03 and 01.04 – both also at 20:00.
There will also be a photo exhibition and an after-show party.
Britfilms V: British Schools Film Festival 1st – 7th March
Passage Kinos invited you to its 5th British Schools Film Festival. Details can be found on our Original Film Guide and, of course, at the cinema’s homepage.
Of Rugby, Kakapo and Castlepoint
We are the champions – New Zealand that is, and rugby is the game (or religion, if you prefer)!! On Sunday morning in a very crowded Irish pub on the Karli some very loyal Kiwis agonised with 4.3 million others (at least!) half a world away – geographically, but not in spirit – over much more than a game with a funny shaped ball. The country’s mental state was at state.
Hayley Westenra, singing sensation from earthquake stricken Christchurch, sang our national anthem very sweetly, to be followed by our warriors giving the haka their all. The French response was to create an arrow formation and advance to eyeball the Kiwis. Off-putting to say the least! They continued by not making it at all easy to put points on the board, and grey hairs were in the making. Kiwis are fairly modest types and the All Blacks have been known to lose their nerve when put under immense pressure, but finally the full-time whistle blew and we were on top. On top of the world!! The final score was 8 – 7, but who cares if there was only one point in it! The team who had played like champions throughout the competition, and only too happily welcomed so many so warmly while hosting the competition, had pulled it off. The Web Ellis Cup can now be tucked up with a hottie in a Kiwi nest for – at least – the next four years.
It was enough to make any Kiwi more than a bit tearfully homesick, but a trip to Leipzig’s Natural History Museum today helped as I came face to face with a couple of Kakapo (long deceased, but still a fine looking pair of native birds)! Then there was Wairarapa’s Castlepoint that featured in (and inspired – at least the dead whale did) the impressive DOK film ‘Vivan Las Antipodas!’ and thirdly New Zealand documentary film guru Alex Lee who made the trip to LE to talk business at the festival. So, Kiwi connections there are to be found and cherished in Leipzig, even if we are a long way from home.
The pride of all Kiwis