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August 21, 2025

Instagram = a negative force ??

Hello from Montana!

It's dawn as I draft this, and I'm riding in a passenger van, past yellow fields and sleepy black cows and enormous bales of hay. Little ranch houses. Purple-y mountains and dusky-pink clouds are on the horizon in every direction, the sky quickly growing brighter.

As we get further it's rolling yellow hills dotted with trees, the houses falling away but the cows continuing. Apparently, we passed a moose on the side of the road last night. I missed it. I was compiling end of day reports :/

I've got paying work—heyyyyyy—I'll be in the wilds of Montana and Oregon for the next five weeks, script supervising on a climbing movie. It's a nice change to be working on someone else's project. To have a finite set of responsibilities. To have unfamiliar scenery moving across my eyeballs... Although. I left Ricky with the keys to Where in the Hell, and I feel guilty that I'm not sitting there next to him, spending every waking moment on MARKETING. (UGGGH.)

Instagram was making me feel shitty. I felt this pig pen cloud following me around, what am I posting, what should we post, did someone post something we should repost? I found myself picking up my phone all day long, checking checking checking. Not good for my brain or my wrists. (Also, does it even matter? Does Instagram have any impact on anything?? Pls tell me if you know the answer.)

Over the weekend, I consulted the I-Ching. (Like a magic 8 ball, but more insightful.) I specifically asked it, how do I feel less like shit about Instagram? The reading was unequivocal.

You linger in an involvement with a negative force. Do not allow your ego to draw you into misfortune. Disengage completely and enter into stillness.

So. No Insta for me for a few weeks. I deleted it from my phone. Now if only I could get off email! I'd feel so light and free! she types, in a long email she's about to send you.

I've got festival screenings to announce, you guys. How have I not let you know:

Where in the Hell will have its Korean premiere at the Seoul International Women's Film Festival this Friday, August 22nd (that’s TOMORROW) and Monday, August 25.

Joohun, one of our lead actors, had a trip to Korea planned, and he rearranged it so he could stick around and promote the movie. On his own steam, he's already done a radio spot, and an interview with The Korea Times. He's also shooting some documentary footage, for a series about coming out as an actor he's planning to call "Telling My Family." Look for it here or here, she types, drawing everyone into misfortune.

We've also been invited to the Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin. That one’s in October, and I think R and I are gonna go. We have to go to Berlin, no? How many chances do you get to see your movie play an arthouse theater in Berlin??

Here's the full (current) lineup:

Seoul International Women's Film Festival, Friday, August 22, 20:20 KST + Monday, August 25, 13:30 KST
Full Bloom Film Festival, Saturday, September 13, 2025 12:30 PM EDT
Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin, Friday, October 3, 2025 7:00 PM CEST
Santa Cruz Film Festival, October 8-12, 2025 (precise date + time TBA)

Let me know if you can make any of these screenings!! A Laramie Report reader turned out in Melbourne (and brought friends) and it made me feel so warm and fuzzy.

*****

This month in tacos: I spent 48 hours in Vancouver, ate tacos twice, can report they were completely acceptable. Would eat tacos in Vancouver again! Though Miso Taco and Maizal don't make the taco map. And the taco fried rice special was the least best thing we had at Pizza Coming Soon, but of course I had to order it. (I will go back for the eggplant, and the kale miso Caesar.) Bozeman is a better taco town. The asada taco from Ramíre's is deceptively simple but delicious—and BIG, like three LA street tacos worth of meat. I took one bite before starting my rental car, intending to eat the rest back at the hotel, but then I kept sneaking bites at red lights. I couldn't stop. The quesabirria tacos from Los Jarochos were spot on, as were the housemade chips and salsa. Extra points for their young Latinx cowfolk clientele, decked out in Wranglers and huge cowboy hats.

Got taco recs for Helena or Bend?

Thanks for hanging in with me. I adore you, all of you.

BESOS,
Laramie

p.s. As always, here’s your trusty taco map.

p.p.s. Please forward this to anyone you know in any of the cities above 🙏🏼

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