01. I love looking at big infrastructure projects (it’s the planner in me that lingers). Today we got to walk part way into the West Gate Tunnel, before the cars takeover in December.
02. This week’s film festivals:
- JIFF: From Darkness to Light – documentary about comedian Jerry Lewis’s Holocaust comedy that was never finished. An intriguing story that also showed how ahead of his time he was (obvious comparisons to the movie Life is Beautiful). It also revealed the sadness and trauma that many comedians carry, and how making people laugh is their very skilled defense.
- BFF: The Thing with Feathers – review to come but the audio and visual added another element to Porter’s already visceral book.
03. Saw Opera Australia’s new production of Carmen – we know the music, we know the story so a new production has to bring something to wow, and this one did (especially the very sparkly Acts II and IV).
04. Melbourne Town Hall for The Mushroom Tapes – an impressive line-up! What was particularly satisfying was when the three authors fell into conversation, exactly as I imagine they’d done all through the trial, and went off on tangents and perhaps new wonderings. Epstein asked if there was anything they’d like to ask Erin – a resounding ‘no’ from all of them, with Helen adding that she’s not interested in motive because she doesn’t think Erin would even know.
05. Holy Sugar sustained our spirits during COVID… and then there was an actual store front in Northcote… and then that closed… and on Saturday there was a one-day bake sale. Glorious. Cronuts, passionfruit meringue tartlets, lemon delights, passionfruit crullers.
06. Officially done with secondary school in our household!
07. Eating: asparagus with whipped kombu and nori at Supernormal; the always insanely tasty anchovies on croutons with smoked tomato sorbet at Movida; and jalapeños poppers at Hotel Mexico.
