There ARE no coincidences...

Okay - my life has graduated from a Sienfeld episode to an X file...
This coincidence stuff is just getting too fucken weird.

Please allow me to explain(er...uh... rant)
I had that weird experience/coincidence with:
That choral/Pergolesi thing (see about all of this hubbub below)
That crazy funny song (You sexy thing - WHICH BY THE WAY - is very unbelievablely connected as I was telling a friend about it today, and midway through the story, mid syllable of the song title she says to me:
OH MY GOD!! My cousin used that very song in her wedding speech! She sampled those lyrics with the music and inserted it into her monologue! Now how fucken wild is that??!"

Tell me about it sister...

SO!
Then there is the other day when I received this email/classified job email, which I usually delete, and was pissed off because I received the same email 4 times, took the time to read it to the bottom only to see a call for submissions/pitches for the Comedy Network which are having a contest to 'Pitch your best Comedy Show idea!" Winner gets $5000 and a contract, and pilot for the show with the Comedy Network. And those of you who know me know that I have been throwing around this idea for more than 10 years now. And what makes it so creepy is the day before, I reminded myself to email a friend so we could actually get a jump on this project together ASAP because I had hit a creative streak...

Flipped out there.

Today, I was on my way to the docu film festival (Ron Mann is going to be talking and showing his amazing hysterical Documentary called Grass : http://www.sphinxproductions.com/pages/film_grass.html
and I pick up those stupid metro magazines again because it was being shoved in my face on my way into the metro, and low and behold, I am thinking... "Must call my crazy likeminded outrageous dude pal about doing that comedy contest! He should be getting his work email this morning!" And as I am flipping through the cheaply inked pages, I see his picture and a whole article on him. I almost lost my fucken breakfast all over myself. I think I turned a shade of transparent cause the woman in the seat next to me was ready to let me take her place. I shook for about 20 minutes after that incident.
NOW HOW FUCKEN WEIRD IS THAT!??!

THEN!! (yes everybody, it does get more bizarre)
I got to the doc film symposium with my gal pal, we take notes, listen to the surprisingly promising news about the renewed interest and renaissance period of documentary films recently, and then we hear some of the filmmakers share their wisdom with us. One in particular blew me away - and seemed to have taken the same route as I am currently. Odd of odd is that he was a photographer and was mentored by Paul Strand and ended up making a documentary about him. I love Paul Strand, so hearing this was such music to my ears.

My GP (gal pal) B. and I stood on the sidelines after lunch and waited to ask him some questions. It was a pretty funny sight - we looked like two film groupies as we watched and waited in the distance as he finished up a conversation with an admiring fan. So when he came by (we were going to trip and wrestle him to the ground, but thought a more subtle approach would work better) we introduced ourselves and I went into my spheil about photography, cinematography and making movies. In the end, we had a nice chat, and very subtly asked him if he would look at my pix and my documentary proposals and perhaps would be interested in (mentoring me) co-producing them at some later date. I love to shmooze and am such an eloquent social slutty kick ass butterfly sometimes... I had remembered to put on my Teflon underwear this morning.

So 5 hours later, the thing is wrapping up and closing comments are being said. The usual lame questions from the audience are tossed around and I decide to bring to light a European model where this brilliant organization simultaneously broadcasts across 8 countries in more than 500 theatres, first time or underground doc film makers. I asked "if it took only 3 years to get this off the ground, and it is across 8 countries, why don't we, one country, have a thing like this in Canada???" From the Anglophones in the audience that understood my question, clapped in agreement. I was quickly silenced by some corporate bimbo who gave me a 2 cent answer and proceeded to go onto the next question. I was really pissed.

So low and behold - I am outside with GPB. and we are talking about that very moment, and this woman who's personality was so vibrant, she was shaking the whole whole building, came up to us and said :" I am so happy somebody knew about this!! We had the premier last week and it was a smashing success!"

She spoke at a million miles and hour in a heavy French/Swiss accent telling me all about this organization. The clincher is....
She is one of the founders/organizers/producers/directors/ of this whole trans Euro thing.
She is also the producer of a phenomenal documentary film called : Fellini - I Am A Born Liar. Could I not be more stunned! First of all - connecting with someone who is involved with something this huge, and the fact that I LOVE FELLINI!!! So we both zoomed through our conversations at now, a billion miles an hour, and upon suggestion of exchanging emails, she said - 'well, lets have coffee Wednesday morning! I would love to talk to you about this!!"

So practically falling over in a state of shock, me and GPB were sitting there after she left, our mouths hanging open, catching files.
"Girl, this whole day is one big coincidence for you is it not? WOW!"

I call my cell phone to see what messages I had.
There is a clip of a French version of a love song from Brian Adams. A 45 second clip and it ends. Tried to *69 - number unknown.
??????Can this get any more bizarre???

HELL YES!!!!!

We go to buy tickets and I feel this tap on my shoulder. It is my my brilliant filmmaker friend Mahmoud Kaäbour. I had not seem him in ages and was thinking just the other day; "I must email Mah - it's been ages!" So already wired on my day, I hop around happier and more surprised that a pig in shit and say: "OH MY GOD!! WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT YOU NOT % MINUTES AGO!!" And that was no lie - cause that Electric Euro Franco/Swiss had just mentioned going to see it, and I said "Oh yea! Its a great film and I know him!!" I only realized on my way home that he must have wondered why I was that happy and surprised to see him.
So we bla bla again - and we said we'd be in touch "Email me!!" seems to be the standard 'goodbye' these days...

So me and GPB sit down and pull out our festival maps. Looking like total festival geeks (or people in the industry) we are furiously circling and crossing off films that we will see...

"You know I saw this great film last here called Nosotros - about the Argentinean people and their beautiful sense of pride in the Tango. GPB, being a huge fan of Tango said: "Oh! I would love to see it!!"
"It was great! Last year, I went up to him after the screening, I talked to him about his film, we went for coffee, ran into each other during the fest, went out for beers, and was his guest for the 'Film Festival Party'! It was a scream!"
We laughed, but I quickly became silent as I shuffled through the mountain of promo flyers and press releases floating around the lobby...

"Nosotros" - Diego Martinez - February 21, 2005 - Rencontres International Du Documentaires du Montreal.

I just moved the flyer over with my finger on the date and said nothing.
We just looked at each other in stunned silence for about 30 seconds and then burst out into hysterical laughter...

Needless to say, on my way home, I had to stop to get a 6/49 for Wednesday....
I'll keep you posted...