Hello from Prague! I’ve been hesitant to write because this experience is so overwhelming and because there is so much to say that I didn’t want to simply detail the surface experience without allowing it to simmer to maturity. I am going to expand on what I am going to say, but initially I will tailor a few sentences regarding our meeting with Brothers Quay.

We were pleasantly taken in by the encounter from the very beginning. The Quays welcomed us as old friends and almost immediately we began talking about our respective ways of working and thinking about art. The Quays were as interested in what we did as we were in what they did. They allowed us to talk freely and they were generous with what they told us.

I asked the Quays about a certain way of editing which I found attractive in one of the films. Something very interesting happened at the cuts, a certain jerkiness of the image, which was precise and disturbing. I also wondered if it was planned originally or it happened in the editing,

They told us exactly how they did it: in one of the earlier films they manipulated the shot in the camera by moving a few frames to the right and then the left. But in the later movies they manipulated the image in editing.

We were impressed by the ease with which they opened up to us. Unlike different experiences we had in the past with other artists, the Quays were all about their work. The coffee kept coming and the conversation became more and more animated. We spoke about the value of different translations of the works of Bruno Schultz. From there we talked about translation in general and I was able to recognize the connection between the two processes of work, film editing and translation. One of the elements that film making and translation share in common is timing: how long does it take to actually enjoy comprehension as if comprehension were a kind of delightful food. When I explained to the Quays that a certain translation was not acceptable because while it took a certain amount of time in the original language but a lot shorter in the translated language, they understood perfectly.

We also appreciated their generosity in taking the time to look at our work and inviting us to continue communication with them. We exchanged music, books and information. We spoke with them longer than the time they had allotted for us, which flew far too fast.

There is much more to come. It’s really impossible to say all we felt and experienced without letting mature.

Julian