Ooh lala, wasn’t that another beautifully inspiring and crazy Branchage Festival?… except this year I was a leeetle less stressed out, no marketing manager responsibilities for me. Hoorah, I actually got to see stuff because this time, my list of tasks only included (and this is the bit where I show off a little):

1. Driving festival delegates from airport to hotel and back again, including the incredibly chatty whacky Ian Svenonius, the irresistibly flirtatious Ziveli Orkestra, the lovely talented directors Liz Mermin (Horses) and Chloe Ruthven (Mario and Nini), the fabulous James Mullighan and Helen Jack from Shooting People, a gabble of drunk waifs and wild strays every night back to their sleeping holes, and… my mum, innit. Dr Constance Fleuriot was over there to run the immersive soundwalk and she needed a lift from the airport to hotel, via a compulsory cream tea with me and Duncan at St Aubin’s bay, of course.

mummy + cream tea + beach + sunshine!

2. Narrating to Euros Child and Richard James soundtrack to Yuri Norstein’s animation, for a gazillion excitable kids at two schools screenings in a row at the Jersey Royal Opera House. The fun bit was when I realised that I was reading entirely different subtitles on the screen to those I’d practiced to, which were quicker, with longer words including a few Russian names thrown in for extra measure…! agh. It was fine, managed to keep up, just. Was a good challenge. Phew. Euros Child and Richard James were an absolutely pleasure to perform with, what lovely men and what gorgeous music. I was far too shy to confess I used to really enjoy a bit of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci when a young teen, thanks to John Peel. I even have a song or two on one of the few cassette tapes I had. They should feel privileged. Actually, I felt privileged. Very.

Oh good, no subtitles for a while... let me catch my breath... Photo by Philip Ilsen

nom.

3. Saying “yes of course” when the wonderful Carla MacKinnon asked me if she could program my short film A Short Collection of Hilary Flamingo’s Dream Vocations into her guest shorts programme Rich Pickings. The theme of the films was food (a particular speciality of mine if I may say so…) and in keeping with Branchage unconventional venue concept it was screened in St Helier’s Bento Sushi Bar. That’s me banana eating in the promo shot (a picture which the ICA were rather keen on too….)

4. Painting temporary sailor-themed tattoos on party guests, then getting danced around like a 80s yo-yo by that cheeky Simon Savoury from Pecadillo Pictures who we then had to restrain from doing the same to my mother… at the AMAAAAZING Bordee D’Branchage party, curated by the incredible Molly Carroll from Plaster of Paris. Such a fun, exciting, entertaining, magical party.

On top of all this, my other highlights of the festival:

1. Battleship Potemkin projected on a gorgeous tug boat accompanied by Zombie Zombie live score, whilst wrapped up in blankets with a hot water bottle and eating fish and chip (so cosy!)

2. The Oscillation, always a delight, and those colour projections get me going every time. Then if that wasn’t enough, in the same church, straight after, we saw Bo Ningen perform their live score to Japanese anime Cat Soup, which was completely mind-blowing and insanely surreal and messed up. I chuckled to myself after hearing one of the kids who had watched it with his parents telling his mates on the way out that their teacher would have switched it off straight away…

The Oscillation - lush visuals AND music. Photo by Becca Frankel

3. Watching people go a bit mosh mad like some sort of psychedelic sneeze to the otherworldly Chrome Hoof in the Spiegeltent.

4. Mass unchoreographed dancing by Branchage crew to Kate Bush, Wuthering Heights at 4am at the after-party. Oh I know its so done and done and done but we couldn’t help ourselves, we was possessed with the spirit of Cathy through contemporary expressive movement.

5. Watching the sun go down for another year with my lurve on the west coast of Jersey just before our flight. Aww. Thank you Branchage. x

Bye bye Branchage.