Almost Glamourous
I land in Dallas expecting cowboys. Instead, I find myself speeding through a city twice Vancouver's size in an Uber, past freeway after freeway beneath enormous skies—more gyms and tanning salons than I’ve ever seen in one place. I check into a luxurious hotel, course-correcting from my previous festival excursion. The beef jerky in the lobby costs $45.
I shower and freshen up before heading down to the DIFF filmmakers' lounge. I see a few other filmmakers lurking by the open bar. We talk about everything we do besides making films. Some are journalists; others work in commercials or theatre. I'm half-listening, hanging in there. I never feel settled on the first day of travelling.
The next morning, I find a yoga studio a few blocks from my hotel, hoping to bring myself back to earth. This is like no yoga I’ve ever experienced—a room of 50 women in black tights and bralettes, with tiny weights. The lead woman floats around, apologizing for talking into a crackly speaker; the music is loud. They're fixing the speaker next week. This yoga class is not relaxing. I wonder if all yoga will be like this in the future. It makes me sad. I'm also sad because I forgot to pack my gym strip, so I'm wearing my pyjamas in a room full of Stepford Wives.
Later that afternoon, my film is shown in the relationships program. I sit in the back of the theatre. A few people approach me after the screening and say how much they liked the film. With the screening over, I feel lighter.
Next, I head to the press room for the red carpet event, where reporters wait with cameras and lights. Friendly ushers shepherd me between interview stations. People tuck their hair back, apply lipstick, and step into the blinding lights. (When the clip comes out, the headline reads “Writer-Director Anika Yuzak Has Hope,” which makes me laugh.)
Back at the snack table, I meet some friendly filmmakers from the Pacific Northwest. We talk about climate change and Elon Musk. About how comfortable we've become leaving one another behind, and billionaires preparing for a future that doesn't include the rest of us. It's refreshing to meet artists who care so much about the world and the people in it.
And then we're released into the balmy Texas night, wandering between screenings and the filmmakers' lounge. Fast friends, happy to be the people we've longed to become.
