It's funny who you run into on the buses. En route to Main Street this morning I found myself sitting with none other than 'Dark Marc' Evans, the director of Trauma (see yesterday's postcard).
He'd just gotten off the phone with BBC Films honcho David Thompson regarding the international sale of the film, but he was determined that this would be the only business he'd be conducting today. He wants to check out a couple of films while he's at the festival, including the offbeat road movie Grand Theft Parsons. It's a very American tale, but happens to be directed by Irishman David Caffrey, and scripted by Brit Jeremy Drysdale - also a friend of Evans.
We parted ways at the Main Street transit centre and I headed down to The Village At The Lift for interviews with Jimi Mistry and debut director Ian Iqbal Rashid. Their culture clash comedy Touch Of Pink is part of the premiere series here at Sundance, and tells the story of a gay Canadian living in London (Jimi doing an accent) who must "come out" to his devoutly Muslim mother.
Initial response to the film was encouraging, with Ian Iqbal Rashid clearly overcome by the semi-standing ovation at the post-premiere Q&A session on Monday night. Before leaving stage, he commented that we'd all made him "a very happy man". Apparently it was all much more than he could handle because, when I arrived for our interview, I was told that he was now confined to his hotel room with a mysterious illness. I was disappointed but on the other hand, it meant I had more one-on-one time with Jimi Mistry. Oh, what's a girl to do...
"BIZARRE SERIES OF EVENTS"
We meet at Fred Segal's at The Lift, which I gather is a cross between The Body Shop and an upmarket beauty salon. It's certainly a peculiar setting for an interview, but since I'd been wrangling with the film's publicists for over a week to get this slot, I wasn't about to complain.
So there we are, in the back of Fred Segal's, next to the raspberry-scented soap bars (how apt). I can see that Jimi is similarly bemused by our surrounds because as soon as we're left alone, we exchange mock-quizzical looks. He tells me this is just one strange episode in a bizarre series of events that have made up his Sundance experience thus far.
He shakes his head and laughs: "This town is like Twin Peaks or something," which I suppose is heightened by the otherworldly presence of Kyle MacLachlan (Jimi's co-star), at this moment lurking between shelves of fruit-based toiletries. I ask Jimi what he means exactly, and he tells me that he's been on a non-stop ride of parties and publicity since arriving and hasn't been able to find any kind of natural rhythm.
At this point, the publicist crashes the conversation and shuttles us across to the Philips Lounge where we might have more privacy. As we cut through the crowd, Jimi nudges me and points out a stack of Nintendo Gamecubes: "Hey, you know they're giving those things away." Indeed they are, but not to the likes of me. The Philips Lounge is an Aladdin's cave of designer freebies, but the marketing gurus are angling for the famous faces who serve as walking billboards for their trendy accoutrements.
Eagerly Jimi calls out to his publicist, who's still flapping around, and asks if he can have a Gamecube. He's told it's a "sure thing" and Jimi turns to me, all smiles, rubbing his palms together like a kid on Christmas Eve. It's very endearing, really, that childish glee and wide-eyed awe he seems to have about everything, and I jokingly ask him if he can swing me a free "cubething" as well.
Actually I'm starting to get antsy by this point; aware that time is ticking away from us. We wander about The Lift for a few minutes longer, sharing our thoughts on the whole Sundance thing, until eventually we end up in the back of a dimly lit bar, and park ourselves on a red velvet banquette. The Twin Peaks vibe grows strong, the lighting and kitsch furniture eerily reminiscent of Agent Cooper's funky dream sequence. I look around half expecting to see a backwards-talking midget, and instead there's Agent Cooper himself, Kyle MacLachlan, hovering in the background. It's just plain spooky how he keeps popping up like that.
"ONCE AN ALTAR BOY"
Finally, the interview begins. Jennifer Knowles wrote in to ask how Jimi's upbringing as a strict Catholic (his mother is Irish) influenced his performance. He talks at length about the parallels he drew with the strict Muslim upbringing of his character, but makes light of the fact that he was once an altar boy. As he talks, though, I'm led to wonder if Jimi suffers from some sort of Catholic guilt complex. He seems eager to get across that "This is NOT a gay film" - that's despite it being championed by The Queer Lounge, a forum for gay films and filmmakers at Sundance. There's also an unmistakable bashfulness when he tells me, "This is something I've never done before." And a pause before he clarifies: "Kiss a man."
Just as he shares this with me, the flapping publicist cuts in and asks me to wrap it up. Jimi rolls his eyes at the impertinence, but I'm used to being hustled by now. I thank Jimi for his time, but I never did get that Gamecube.
Stella delivers her next Sundance postcard on Friday
See Stella's most recent gallery here
Stella's interviewing Bright Young Things director Stephen Fry tomorrow. Got a question you want her to answer on your behalf? You can email her right here
