22 hours in Iceland, my NYC premiere
I have two more festivals to add to the lineup: My “distinctly modern” “deeply classic” “dreamy and dirty” road movie, Where in the Hell, is playing Twin Cities on October 22, and the Queens World Film Festival on November 5. Queens World has programmed us for opening night, at The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria. NYC friends, please come out!! I can’t wait to see you.
Hello from Berlin and my jet-lagged brain.
I managed to get up at 9am this morning, almost like a regular person, if only because I glanced at my travel alarm clock that read 12 and I bolted up thinking I'm here! I can't waste this! (We're nine hours ahead of Vancouver/LA, and I thought I managed to set the clock at 3am when I went to bed, but instead I set the alarm for 3.)
Last night was the opening of the Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin, low key and lovely, at an arthouse movie theater with a filmmakers lounge full of mostly young-ish women and a few of us not so young, mostly wearing black, some sporting edgy Berliner haircuts, some not. I’m fixating on hair because BOY DO I NEED A HAIRCUT. Do I risk just popping into a salon in Berlin? Yes, maybe yes.
Where in the Hell plays FFFB tomorrow night at 7pm, at Kino Moviemento, and on Saturday at 5pm I’ll be on a panel in the lounge, “Failing Forward." I mean, yeah, I can speak to that. Come out Berlin!!
I dig it here. This feeling of comfort washed over me when we finally made it onto the train, after two hours waiting for lost bags, and buildings with graffiti started to come into view. A real city.
En route, R supported me in the bizarre choice to do a 22-hour layover in Iceland. I don't 100% recommend this. Not the Iceland part, but the 22 hours part. We ate a terrific meal at a food hall in Reykjavic—Icelandic steak frites and lamb chops—we browsed a few thrift shops (so many sweaters), we strolled to a much-touted consignment shop (SO MANY SWEATERS) (I did not buy a sweater, but R did buy a hand-knit Icelandic wool hat). We did the 7-step ritual at Sky Lagoon (100% recommend). We sang "Welcome to Iceland" doing Kristen Wiig doing Bjork the whole time. We somehow spent something like $300 on taxis + airport shuttles, and consigned ourselves to getting up at 3am to catch our plane to Berlin. We saw zero volcanos or ice caves or elves.
Iceland Air and the shuttles run non-stop ads for Iceland touting all the things, so we were very much aware of what we missed. Iceland runs too many ads for itself, imo, and apparently some locals agree. Like, we get it, you are fucking gorgeous, Iceland. Chill.
Okay, I'm off to explore, and maybe seek out a third coffee.
Here's the full (current) festival lineup:
Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin, Friday, October 3, 2025 7:00 PM CEST
Santa Cruz Film Festival, Saturday, October 11, 2025 5:15 PM PDT
Twin Cities Film Festival, Wednesday, October 22, 2025 5:00 PM CDT
Queens World Film Festival, Wednesday, November 5, 2025 6:30 PM EST
Reply here if you can make it to any of these screenings. I'd love to see you/meet you 🤗
*****
This month in movies: I went to the little arthouse theater in Bend several times and watched new movies I did not love. Actually, one I DESPISED, one I did not love (Eddington, and Highest 2 Lowest). My favorite thing in a while was a rewatch of Susan Seidelman’s Desperately Seeking Susan. Come for the excellent 80s outfits, and the effortless performance from young Madonna. Stay for the gritty 80s NYC, and the terrific chemistry between Rosanna Arquette and Aidan Quinn. Their love scenes on the floor of his big beautiful empty Chinatown apartment gave me crushy feelings like I was 12 again.
This month in tacos: The tacos in Bend are—fine! Not bad! I was very happy with the (gluten-freeeee) fried shrimp taco at Spork, and the Oaxacan cheese and green chili at El Sancho. Would add chorizo next time and then it's not quite my go-to Guisado's order, but a stab at it. I also enjoyed El Sancho's gringo-friendly "Mom taco" special. Lol the Yelp description, "Casual taco spot with a hip ambiance offering semi-hard tacos and notable margaritas." Semi-hard tacos. They were tacos. But way to make it sound dirty.
xoxo,
Laramie
p.s. Here’s your trusty taco map.