Well, with most Meetups happening in person now (and me unable to join), I looked at film again for today. And what was coming up now isn't on Amazon Prime, for once - nope, it's on the Sands Films website! The best option there was The Company of Strangers (aka Strangers in Good Company), about a group of elderly women whose minibus breaks down in Canada, in the middle of nowhere, forcing them to spend the night in each other's company. Mostly ad-libbed.
Typically for Sands Films, they started streaming too early - for goodness' sake, the first 11 minutes or so has us staring at a clock, while the mc comes on occasionally to do a synch test. Finally, the camera switches, and he gives an introductory speech - they used to have weekly film clubs (which I never attended), and I guess he's done this every time. I think the film proper starts after about 18 minutes.
This is a really, really slow film. I dozed off during it. And frankly, several of the women annoyed me - for various reasons - and I don't think I could have stuck a real-life impromptu camping trip with them. But the scenery is beautiful, and while I'm a bit dubious how well elderly women would really cope without much to eat, or anywhere comfy to sleep, for about 24 hours, maybe Canadian women are hardier, eh? Anyway, what we get are a variety of scenes of women pairing off in twos and threes, in which we learn more about their characters. We also get old photos of them - which I believe are genuine - and they talk a bit about their past lives. So I guess, the point is that we are being reminded that there's more to old ladies than creaky bones! Interesting, then - but I found it productive to be doing something else while it was on.
Tomorrow, wouldya believe it, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club! This is a live-streamed event from King's Place, which I booked last Christmas (!), and which is taking place at the venue: but with the live streaming, I asked for my ticket to be changed to a virtual one. After all, the Irish government won't let me go back in time for it! (Well, they would, but I'd have to quarantine upon coming back to Ireland. And even if I did do that, I don't want to risk it, as I'm living with my elderly mother.) Means I'll have to miss this weekend's London Social Detours Meetup, which this week is tomorrow, but what the hey. Anyway, the storytelling is On Common Ground - The Life and Times of John Clare, as told by Hugh Lupton. Sadly, there's yet more storytelling there that evening - Ben Haggarty is performing Storytelling for Grownups - the Grateful and the Dead. But that's not being live-streamed. :-( Live only, with social distancing, and sold out a while ago. Of course.
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