Thursday, June 22, 2006

Google News has found this as the top link for Billy Wilder x 100 years.

Seems like a good list of films and also links to several blogs.

When I was doing more to create PDF as part of the modem festival, Billy Wilder content was usually part of it. The best bit was when i phoned his office and got through to him directly. I was surprised by this but had started to invent some fiction around him so thought his office should know. The aim was to try to break down the idea of a 'European' cinema as different to a US cinema. I think Lost Weekend is arguably a German movie or close. My story was around an EU funded plan to kidnap a director born in Germany but working in the USA, then find out from him the most likely areas where German language film could be promoted. The areas for French and Spanish are well known. He did not mind the concept of being kidnapped but he closed the conversation down when I mentioned the need for help with the script. He had to get to the doctor. He had to get ready for his birthday. He was definitely not working on any more scripts. Maybe because I was so surprised to be talking to him, my main memory is how badly prepared I was. He definitely wanted to know what was being proposed even though through the civility he turned down the idea without taking too much time.