The Circuit

In remembering the late film critic John Harkness, Joe Leydon brings up an interesting point about film festival tunnel vision.  The outside world does indeed seem to shut down.  Not much can penetrate the cacophony of news, screenings, events, appearances.  Not even a massacre in China, as Joe recounts. 

And the relationships there can only be framed within that fest - between dark theaters, chicken satay, and mini-bars. 

If you totaled all the time I spent with John over the years at various festivals - or with any one of a few other colleagues I never see in any other context -- it might add up to more hours I've spent with blood relatives over the same period. And, yes, there's something ineffably deceptive about spending long periods in close quarters alongside people with similar interests: You start to think that you actually know these people.

But you don't.

Full post here on Joe's blog.