I had the opportunity to attend Internationale Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart in Germany with ‘Hush Baby’. Upon Sophie’s suggestion to visit Paris as well, it turned out to be an amazing journey!

Whee!

I arrived at Stuttgart airport, took a train to Stuttgart HBF and realised from a disinterested information assistant that this wasn’t the location to ride the coach to Paris. I jumped on a train to Obertuerkheim station and found a friendly staff at a hotel who pointed me to the correct pickup location. I am horrible with directions but thank goodness nice people are always around. I made a big blunder on my way back to Stuttgart though, hee.

One of the shooting locations for Amelie.

First breakfast in Paris on a rainy morning.

Sophie with nutella tiramisu, note the bliss.

Spice shop filled with hundreds of mix, preserved meats, jams, nuts, sweets. It should be a very colourful picture with lots of details. Would love to shoot this place again.

Home-made dinner with Sophie! Comfortable and memorable.

Posters plastered on the wall of subway station.

Dusty, old, creaking book store we found. Like.

Sophie has a fantastic apartment with a corridor that I like! I remember tiptoeing across the wooden floor every morning to this kitchen, trying not to wake her up with my incessant shuffling.

Apparently bachelor and bachelorette parties involve dressing-up and dare challenges with friends in public. These are two separate gangs.

Duck confit. Meat just fell off its bone. Yum-my.

These signs are pretty much everywhere but I don’t know why I keep clicking at them. They are nice, don’t you think?

I haven’t seen Viet Tu in a long time; it was a pleasant coffee chat plus the fantastic weather!

Lourve at night looks mysterious and grand. Too bad the fountain square shuts its gate before 9pm.

Commuters have to unlock their own doors to alight, instead of automatic doors which some have.

After 4 fun days in Paris, I took a coach back to Stuttgart HBF. Well, the bus goes to Stuttgart HBF but in my drowsy stupor I jumped off at the wrong HBF. HBF is short for Hauptbahnhof, German, which means ‘main or central station’, and of course I alighted at the wrong HBF… So, I took a train ride back to Stuttgart HBF, and blew some euros unnecessarily. This is my cosy hostel which the festival placed me!

Dustin, Joseph and Javier (out of screen), three very talented directors.

VERY elated to see Hannes, Melanie and Dave at the event! FMX is happening alongside ITFS, so there’s lots of screenings, workshops and talks to catch. Watched lots of films and talked a lot. I haven’t spoken so much English since I worked in Tokyo.

Festival garden with a free outdoor screening. Very cool.

There’s a weekend flea market on my way to the festival. Selling really old-looking comic books, army bags, clothes, coins, accordions, records, toys…

Because Japan is 7 hours ahead of Germany and in order to be at work on Monday, I missed the last day of the festival and the award ceremony :-( thus I didn’t manage to say goodbye to a lot of people. Hi there, if I met you at the festival, please stay in touch!

And I am back in Tokyo, what a wonderful journey. Thanks Sophie!
Below is a ‘Please do again’ poster series encouraging commuter etiquette. Previously there was a ‘Please do it at home’ posters of the same style showing lady putting makeup, drunk salaryman on the train etc. Omoshiroi..