I forgot to list the date of this story was 2017/18. d
> On Dec 28, 2020, at 3:28 PM, Scott MacDonald <[email protected]> wrote: > > I appreciate your sending this, Dominic! > > A pleasure to read--another era. > > Happy New Year--let's hope this one is less exhausting! > > Scott > > On Mon, Dec 28, 2020 at 3:40 PM Dominic Angerame <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > Below is a short piece that I had written for the Canyoncinemazine. It was > rejected for the Baillie but thought I would share it with you all. > > Bruce Baillie and the Enchanted Kingdom > > An excerpt from the unpublished > forthcoming book > > Tales from the Canyon by Dominic > Angerame > > > > > > There are so many experiences shared with Bruce that it’s difficult to write > about only one. Bruce Baillie was in San Francisco where he had two > screenings, one at the San Francisco Cinematheque and another at the New > Nothing Cinema. On the very last visit Bruce came only to celebrate his > birthday and visit friends. > > > > My friend Dennis Letbetter had a personal gallery called the Bonnafont > Gallery on Greenwich Street in North Beach just up the street from Saints > Peter and Paul Cathedral. Upstairs was a small quaint unique old style San > Francisco apartment rented by photo gallery owner Philippe Bonnafont who > passed away from aids in 1993. It was a very small two bedroom apartment > with a kitchen and small living room. The Bonnafont Gallery used to have a > dirt floor with a wine press in the back. > > > > The Gallery was located in the back of an apartment building that contained a > small cul de sac. For a while I turned the Gallery into a film venue > featuring Surrealist films and Italian Neo Realist films and also my own > work. In the evening we would light up the alley way leading to the > apartment with Christmas lights. It was one of most serene places in North > Beach centered in the middle of what used to be an orange grove. Of course > the grove no longer exists and apartment buildings were subsequently > constructed. The Bonnafont Gallery was a place that seemed untouched by the > never ending construction in the city. > > > > Dennis had a beautiful garden outside the Gallery where many flowers > flourished. When Bruce arrived in the early evening with Lori and Bob we made > sure the lights were on. Bruce got out of the car that Linda Scobie was > driving and he was ready to walk up the apartment stairs. I remember his > luggage being heavy since he traveled with cans of food for the journey. > Bruce was redirected to the locked alley gate and I opened it up to this > walkway of Christmas lights. The look in his eyes I will never forget. > > > > He thought that he had arrived at an enchanted kingdom and in a way he had. > The stairs to the apartment were steep and a large cactus stood at the front > door. I led Bruce into the apartment and he was astonished. He immediately > fell in love and sat in the rocking chair in disbelief. > > > > Bruce stayed at the apartment for more than a week holding court for many > including Linda Scobie and Courtney Fellion. Bruce told me that these women > were his guardian angels and he felt that he was in heaven. Bruce also held > court with one of his first students, Michael Wallin former co-director of > Canyon Cinema. There was also Liz Keim of the San Francisco Exploratorium. > There were others whom I didn’t know or can’t remember. > > > > I think that the experience of living in the apartment was his happiest time > in San Francisco. > > Other times Bruce and Lori stayed twice in the artist apartment at the San > Francisco Art Institute. I had also arranged a motel for them down by > Fisherman’s Wharf. > > > > During the daytime Bruce would go to Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. Linda > and I met him at mass one Sunday and we all took communion. After the mass > we went over to Washington Square Park where Bruce admired the Asian elders > doing Tai Chi. He would join them for a while and we would quietly sit > admiring the scene. We’d then would walk back to the enchanted kingdom away > from the traffic noise and bustle of San Francisco’s streets. > > > > We had a picnic outside in the garden of the Bonnafont with Liz Keim, Jon > Shibata and Mona Nagi of the Pacific Film Archives, Linda Scobie, Courtney > Fellion, Michael Wallin, Lori Baillie, Bob Baillie and me. Potluck parties > were always a joy for Bruce and he seemed so happy to be in the courtyard > with all of us laughing, drinking wine and sharing stories. He loved his > extended family. After the lunch we retired and went into the Gallery where > we projected films onto a roll down screen that Dennis had installed. > > > > Too soon it came time to leave. Bruce wanted to stay forever. Sadly we > packed him up. He sat on the porch deep in thought and said that he didn’t > want to leave the enchanted castle and land of Oz. The luggage was lighter > since he ate the food and left whatever was not eaten there at the apartment > for the next lodger. Bruce waived goodbye as I stood outside the locked gate > that led to the Gallery. > > > > Many times Bruce talked about going back to that place that made him so > happy. I told him it was there whenever he wanted and I would make > arrangements with Dennis. He and his family would always be welcome. > > > > > -- > Frameworks mailing list > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > http://film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org > <http://film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org> > -- > Frameworks mailing list > [email protected] > http://film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org
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