Photographing Cindy Kleine (dir of “Phyllis & Harold”)
There was a real sense of excitement outside Cinema Village. By the look of things it was going to be a standing 
room only affair for the opening night of Cindy Kleine’s documentary “Phyllis & Harold”.
I had just arrived and was rubber necking looking for my friends. Cindy was already inside; she was going to introduce her film and I didn’t want to miss it. In front of the cinema I recognized a couple of celebrities sprinkled in the crowd … then finally a familiar face; Rita, a terrific hair & make-up artist and friend. Rita and I work together regularly. And it’s thanks to her that I was there this night.
Let me back track for a moment …
A couple of weeks prior, Rita introduced me to Cindy because she needed some pictures pronto for press kits and the like. Time was of the essence the movie was opening in two weeks. We got to work and had everything ready to go in record time. The shoot was relaxed and fun. Cindy has a great sense of humor. We also discovered that we both have a weakness for many a thing “British”; and because of the nature of her documentary we of course discussed our parents. I was eager to see her film, the little she had said about it genuinely moved me.
Back to opening night…
My other friend finally arrived at the theater breathless and I ushered her straight to the seats Rita had saved for us. The place was packed and Cindy got a big round of applause as she walked towards the stage. After a few words the film started. It was engrossing, funny, sad and surprising. Amazing footage collected over a lifetime…
Below is a short synopsis that describes better than I could what the movie is all about.
Needless to say I recommend it. It’ll have you talking for hours about love, life, the meaning of relationships, and of course your parents.
“You turn away from everything, then look at one face… And suddenly you become face to face with everything.” – Cindy’s mom Phyllis Kleine
Synopsis: “Phyllis and Harold” is an astoundingly frank journey through a disastrous 59 year old marriage. Drawing on a lifetime of her family’s home movies and interviews made over 12 years, filmmaker Cindy Kleine mixes reportage, cinema verite and animation to uncover family secrets and tell a story that could not be shown publicly as long as her father was alive. 
“Phyllis and Harold” delves into the mystery of time passing, the nature of living a life, and the challenges of losing those we love. But it is also a loving, funny expose on the sins of suburbia. Imagine Bergman’s “Scenes from a Marriage” seen through the prism of “I Love Lucy”. [Synopsis courtesy of the film's website]