This year, Mark and I caught the tail ends of South by Southwest, and our stand-out favorites were The Case Against 8 -- the documentary about the landmark fight to overturn Proposition 8 in California -- and The Road to Austin -- the doc on the 2007 concert with great Texas musicians like Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, and Joe Ely. (Hear Joe Ely above.) Both films had so much heart, the first because it took you behind the scenes to the lives of the plaintiff couples. How anyone could not root for these two couples’ right to get married is beyond me. Of course, getting to know them made the political issue personal, which is what gives any principle emotional weight. I guess it’s no surprise that Mark and I got emotional ourselves. And then The Road to Austin was dedicated to the much-loved musician, Stephen Bruton, with all the performers clearly aware that he had only a little time left. They played their hearts out with him. I loved the wide range of musical talent, and when Texas opera singer Cara Johnson gave a stunning performance, it was wonderful to see the wild applause. After the film, Mark and I followed the crowd upstairs for the after-party where we saw some of the same musicians in concert. We enjoyed the whole experience, the film and music and restaurants -- and of course, the people-watching. It didn’t matter that we didn’t get in to Lady Gaga (fat chance) or Jimmy Kimmel Live (we waited in that long line and almost made it). And Mark didn’t have the excitement of the Tiny Houses documentary this year (I include at the end the groupie photo with the Tiny Houses creators). We just love SXSW and look forward to next year...
