Saturday, July 24, 2010

Films, Films, Films - Being 60 (week 12 - by Margaret Ullrich)

This is the weekend of the 'Gimli Film Festival'.  It's been going on for 10 years and includes everything : features, shorts and documentaries.  There are guest filmmakers, industry events and parties.  

It also has a free nightly beach screening.  After sunset - 10:00 p. m. for those not familiar with Manitoba's long summer days - they show regular feature films on an 11 metre outdoor screen on the shores of Lake Winnipeg.

If you've ever gone to a drive-in, you have the general idea.


Gimli is one of our favorite local towns, so we went there yesterday.  We went to walk on the beach and check out the paintings, both in the art gallery and on the beach front wall.  We also dropped by our favorite shops and walked on the beach.

But, we didn't stay for the late show.


Paul and I used to go to drive-ins regularly.  We even went to a few dusk-to-dawn specials.  Picture it - a night filled with 4 movies, with a few bathroom and snack breaks - all for the price of 1 movie.  For a while we owned a truck which we also used for camping.  We'd just back into our spot and stretch out on the sleeping bags which were on the foam mattress on the board.  Our dogs curled up beside us.  Our son slept beside us in his own sleeping bag. 

No problem staying awake through the night.

No problem being alert enough to drive home.

That was then.  This is now.


Lately we've become big fans of the Turner Classic Movies channel.  On Thursday night they showed an old favorite of mine - Tammy and the Bachelor.  Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Nielson, 1957.  It started at 9:00 p.m. and ended at 10:45 p.m.  

We enjoyed it.  By 10:50 we were in bed.  The next morning we staggered around, tired out from our "late night".  

Dusk to dawn?  I don't think so.

The Icelandic Festival - Islendingadagurinn - is happening next weekend.

No, I can't pronounce it.


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