Once in a Lifetime Cultural Experience

Last night, Sarah and I had a once in a life time cultural experience. But so you can understand it, I have to explain some things first. First of all, one of the most iconic landmarks here in Odessa is The Potemkin Steps.  You can learn more about the staircase on Wikipedia.

Second, we happen to be here during an International Film Festival - similar to the film festivals in Sundance and Caan. As part of the festival, they set up a giant screen at the bottom of the Potemkin Steps and invited the public to come and see a film there, for free. Sarah and I couldn't resist going to see what it would be like.

But it wasn't just any film. They screened a silent film that was created in 1929 called "Man With A Movie Camera."  Many critics have called it the best documentary ever made. Parts of the film were shot here in Odessa. And on top of that they invited a composer from England to create a new and original score for the film. The composer was there with his orchestra and they performed the score live during the screening.

Before the screening, they announced that there were an estimated 15,000 people in attendance and that it was a world record for the largest outdoor screening of a silent film.  There are 192 steps and they were packed! So we got to see the movie (our music was 100 times better than the versions on YouTube) and be with all the people and listen to the live music. It was a real thrill for us.