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rumpleantares · 9 years ago

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EIFF : Opening Night Gala and The Legend Of Barney Thomson

The opening night of the Edinburgh International Film Festival was dedicated to Bobby's film, The Legend of Barney Thomson. It took place in the Festival Theater and began at 5 PM by the red carpet with the stars arrival, and particularly our dear Glaswegian. After I got my press pass (a huge thank to Nadege and Nicolas from Salles Obscures –sallesobsures.com- for this, I'm eternally grateful to you) as soon as the desk was opened, at 8:30 AM, I had to pass time in the city to prepare for THE night.

The clock slowly counted down the hours, hours during which my stress has grew inexorably. I would see Bobby in the late afternoon and I didn't know what to expect, not even if I could have seen the film after. Around 4:30 PM, Photographers and myself were penned in on our side of the red carpet and then it began to rain. Thank you to the Scottish weather, we really suffered each season over the day. My stress had increased by the way, because of the rain and the drawing I'd like to be signed woudn't get on well, and because taking a photo whilst holding an umbrella would have been a delicate task which I'm not an expert at.

Fortunately, a few minutes before the first cars came, we passed from winter to spring, and the sun (or at least rain's absence) has risen. According to our information, Bobby should have been the second guest to come, and in the photographer pen, restlessness began. A true pack of vultures, ready to jump on each little free place to have the better view. The first guest and artistic director Mark Adams finally arrived, and I took a photo knowing the next car would drop Bobby at the red carpet entrance. Stress. Anxiety. Impatience. And at last, the grey saloon stopped, the door opened on Anastasia. On the other side, Bobby came out. Little adrenaline rush, the heart pounding in the chest while the brain realised : He's here.

The time of being welcomed by officials came and he headed for the fans but he was redirected toward us. So he came in front of us after making a sign to the audience that he will come back right after. Anastasia and him posed for a moment, here and there, then him alone, right there in front of me. I would have been happy just with that but I did try for an autograph, but he didn't hear me and was coming back to the fans. So I cowardly deserted my post to run toward the fan side, at the very little place I picked out, just before the door through which he entered the Festival theater. From there, I saw him stop before each of us taking photo and signing autographs, always smiling, then he approached the place I was. He shook a young man's hand before me and exchanged a few words while signing his photo and then I could hold out my drawing for him. He turned to me and stepped back, surprised.

« Woah, oh my... you did this » « Yes, and this one is for you » I gave him a drawing of him and his children and he looked genuinely surprised and touched. He thanked me while looking at the two drawings, then he looked at me and made a sign to get closer before clasping me in his arms. My brain stopped, I was hugging Robert Carlyle. Flat line. Just the heart pounding in my chest while I was clasping him to my chest and he kept on thanking me for several seconds. Right there, there were no one else, just a feeling of warmth and sweetness. Then he pulled back (sniff) and firmly took the pen and began to write on the drawing « thank you so much » before he signed and shook my hand again. I asked him for a photo (and then having him again in my arms) before he left. And I stood there several minutes, trying to understand what just happened, with shaking hands.

I watched him giving interviews for a while before trying to go back to my job and taking the others stars photos. At last, the red carpet ended, the guests for the first showing of The Legend Of Barney Thomson were inside, Bobby with them and I could go to the reception in the hope of finding a ticket for the next showing which was sold out. So I'd like to thank with all my heart the one who cancelled his reservation, the only one as I understood, because I jumped on the ticket like a starving dog on a bone.

During the wait, I met other Bobby fans with which I could speak and, at last, ninety minutes later, a flood of people poured out the stairs, leaving the first wave of lucky ones to have fun in every nook and cranny of the Festival Theater. When climbing the stairs, we crossed Anastasia, unfortunately without Bobby, before reaching the upper circle where I got my ticket. Before coming into the room, we were given a copy of « The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson » by Douglas Lindsay, from which the film is adapted. Everyone was sat and then, the artistic director of the festival came on stage to briefly introduce the film and mainly Bobby, who came in turn on stage under loud applause to speak about his film and introduce the cast for four minutes (yes thats accurate). Finally the curtains were drawn and the film began.

The Legend of Barney Thomson is really great and hilarious, Bobby and Emma Thompson are brilliant, as is the rest of the cast, and the graphical display perfectly fits the atmosphere. At the end of the film, the journey resumed. 10:30 PM. I found again the Bobby's fans and we flew to National museum of Edinburgh where the after party was. We hoped to see Bobby at the come out. On the spot, I learned my magical pass could get me in, so I could I go and see if our favorite Scotsman was still there. After endless minutes of searching, by eluding drunk people dancing or gesticulating, I saw the fluffy one (yep I first saw his hair) surrounded by staff people. It was impossible to get close but he was still there. I took refuge in a calm area, far away from people, from where I could see if he was leaving or not. Noticing he was saying goodbye to his close ones, I headed for the way out to warn the girls, who were waiting for me outside.

Given that they didn't have the opportunity to see him on the red carpet, I waited aside to take a photo, and when Bobby came out, he got closer and looked at me before showing me to his close friends saying « he, he's an artist » before taking a photo with the girls, just before being grabbed by a fair-haired woman and going to his car just the moment I went to ask to take another photo (first one was blurred). Seeing him again was just so great, and that he remembered me... wonderful, I couldn't have asked for more.

To sum up, I am just so happy and Bobby is great, lovely, nice, kind, talented, wonderful and so, so cute.

#EIFF #edinburgh #robert carlyle #love him so much #sallesobscures #LOBT

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