SXSW... wow. What a crazy couple of days. Yesterday we saw a couple of movies, the first of which was Hannah Takes the Stairs. We ran from that one across town in order to catch the premiere of a documentary we were excited about called Billy the Kid. Maybe it had something to do with that film fest atmosphere that makes movies seem really exciting, but this movie blew me away. It's a documentary that follows a painfully socially awkward 15 year old through the whirlwind 3 day saga of his first love. Billy has Asperger syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. It was weird, because we interviewed the director, Jennifer Venditti, before the screening and she said how she didn't want it to be about a disorder, but about a person. And the film really did that, it never even mentioned the disorder until the final frame, an epilogue describing where Billy is now. But then, Venditti did a Q&A, and Billy was there, too. For some reason the whole "it's about a person not a disorder" thing vanished and it was several uncomfortable minutes of describing what's wrong with Billy, right in front of Billy! It left us with an uneasy feeling. But the film was amazing, simply amazing.
I've stitched together composite photos of some interesting Austin interiors. First, the historic Paramount Theater, where we saw Hannah Takes The Stairs and a really funny stoner movie from a woman's perspective (a first?) called Smiley Face.
Next, a shady (but authentic) Texas BBQ joint a cabbie took us to called Sam's. I tried not to let the giant roach I saw on the floor spoil my appetite. One of my favorite moments was when Sam grabbed a huge slab of slow-cooked beef, cut off the first slice and handed it to me for a taste test, similar to the smelling of the wine bottle cork ritual. It was good.
That Billy the Kid sounds pretty good. Your enthusiasm makes me enthusiastic!