10:30 pm on a Sunday night in a gourgeos 200+ seat theater in a trendy part of town our film premieres in Hamburg… no more than 25 people in attendance. I take a breath! I had not experienced this since our film has been in festivals. The houses have mostly been sold out or close to it… Do I see it as 1\8th empty or 1\8th full?
I intruduce the movie as we always do and the film rolls on. However, this time I stay to watch it, maybe because of a sore heart or if only to fill another seat. Through the opening credits I’m figuring, well it’s a late screening… and today was a major election day in Germany… people have to work tomorrow and blah, blah, blah…
By the time Mariana and Antonio are having their big bathroom fight I am no longer licking my wounds but completely engrossed in the film. Next thing i know the credits roll and when the lights go up I am called up for the Q&A. Every step I take to the front of the house makes me prouder than the next of the film we just saw. By the time I reach the front, I can only see the people that did come and their immense gratitude for the story we just shared. We hear ‘half empty/half full’ all the time, but to experience it elevates it from a cliche to life’s sweatest moments. While the size of the audiece will always vary, the quality of the work remains. I made sure to thank everyone in attendance as they made our Hamburg premiere very meaningful. Danke Schön
