The D-Word's life is one of glamour and riches, as only a documentary filmmaker can live it

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Suddenly a Genius
September 13, 1996...

Everyone's going ape over the Jupiter's Wife Emmy award the other night, and not just cause I wore a monkey suit for the first time.

For me, it was a total non-event, which is wierd cause I usually love these kinda things. Part of it is it was the ghettoized News and Documentary Emmy's, done midweek in NYC, as opposed to the televised Emmys of last weekend. I suppose that means if they're televised they're real, and if they're news and docs they're unreal.

Part of it was having this two years removed from the hoopla of Jupiter's Wife's first American screening at the IFFM (Lawwwdy, and here I am, back at the IFFM on Monday), and a year removed from it's theatrical release

Sure, it was momentarily thrilling to win, and I was truly happy for Michel, but it was anticlimatic and dull and incredibly tacky. They'd announce the winner for, say, some Dateline NBC show on the murder epidemic in the inner cities, and while the winners are walking the half-mile from their table to the stage the band is playing a zippy rendition of Glenn Miller's "In The Mood." Then came the speeches. Funny how every Executive Producer is suddenly a genius, every reporter a relentless seeker of truth, and every editor the best damned pro in the biz. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

But people are so impressed, it's kinda startling. Got the first indication when Michel, Joni, Jane and I went outside onto the island in Times Square to get a cab. I had my camera and started snapping photos and every cab driver and tourist who passed wanted to be in the picture or rub the statue (particularly the boobs).

And friends and family are genuinely excited. Michel, of course, gets the statue, but Marjorie wants visiting rights. People seemed upset when I didn't share their feelings so now I try and display the proper enthusiasm rather than bother to explain. It just brings them down.

Actually, I see my reaction as a healthy sign. I can separate out the good things the award will do for the film and for my next film, but I don't need it to tell me that Jupiter's Wife is a terrific film, or for my ego as a producer.

My head is totally into getting Home Page ready for the market and the web site up in time. It's gonna be a close call. It's Friday night, the isp's T-1 crashed, and a lot of work left to be done.

I just keep saying to myself, the sample's done, the sample's done, the sample's done. Ahhhhhhhhhhh...

Monday, all hell breaks loose, and I don't have my written materials ready, but it'll seem relaxing compared to the intensity of the past two weeks.

It's 11:15 at night and I've caught my second wind. I almost passed out reading in bed to Lucy tonight, I was so tired. Now I'll try and crank out some content. No time to filter. Just going factory-direct from neurons to flyin' fingertips.

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