Breaking it all down
March 2, 2008 at 10:11 p.m.
The final day of the True/False Film festival is coming to a close, and it is the one day out of the week that I am not wearing a coat.
A sunny day in Columbia closed the festival. The streets were full of families walking together and a numerous amount of bike riders chained their bikes to any gate available. It was a great day to movie hop and hang out at the new Ragtag Theater and Uprise Bakery.
Many festival goers did not have tickets for the movies on Sunday, but were willing to wait outside for the chance to sneak a seat in any theater. As I was standing outside the Ragtag, taking pictures, an elderly man on a bike rolled up and stopped me. His large white beard and wild hair were a distraction. He asked me hastily if I knew where the "Q" cards were. I honestly told him I didn't know, but pointed in the direction where everyone was waiting. I thought at first that he was going to roll his bike right into the bakery, but he soon realized what he was doing. He was disappointed when he learned how many numbers were before him, but he just jumped back on his bike and headed to a different venue, still smiling.
The closing reception was set inside Jesse Hall's lobby. I walked in, being swept away by the amount of people. I weaved around the free alcohol, trying to find where the line to the Addison's food began. A woman turned to me and smiled. I think she could sense my confusions or hear my stomach growling. She pointed to the back where I was directed to stand. The line had weaved all the way back to where a mob of festival goers were waiting to see the last movie, Man on Wire. Beer was being spilled everywhere and with nothing but small Addison napkins to clean it up. The buffet consisted of crab rangoon filling, sweet potato chips, Thai chicken and some mixed berry desert. The chicken was an obvious favorite, being refilled at least 3 or 4 times in 30 minutes. People were piling on as much food as they could on the small plates only the size of my hand. Hunger was an obvious factor.
At True/False I doubt that there can be any true disappointments. Every film that I saw was different and affected me in different ways. Being able to meet the directors of the films was powerful and informative. I felt like I had the inside scoop to the movie and was better able to understand the film.
The other side of Columbia really came out with the festival. I have always heard about Columbia's great sense of "community" but until now, I don't think I really knew what that was. The way that Columbia has accepted these films and welcomed people from all over to enjoy the city and the sites was amazing.
The entire weekend was an experience that I will remember forever. To put into words what I have seen and witnessed is not something easily done. There were too many times where I wish I had a video camera in my glasses so that everyone could see the exact thing I was seeing. I had to shake my head every once in awhile to make sure I was still awake and that I had not imagined the "bear on the bicycle" or the dancers at Mojo's in full spandex body suits.
The festival has brought Columbia alive and will continue to do so; I hope for many years to come.
- Rachel Schroeder
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