Edinburgh Diary – Day 2

Racing through the Edinburgh streets from Empire's home base to Lothian Road for the first press show of the day, there's still a bounce in Empire's Cuban heels after The Motorcycle Diaries party last night. But talking of diaries, what shape does a magazine writer's festival itinerary generally take? Morning: a couple of back-to-back screenings. Today it's in at the deep end with Spanish drama Take My Eyes, which swept the 2004 Goyas. Director is former actress Iciar Bollain, who starred in Ken Loach's Land And Freedom and the spirit of Loach lingers on in this hard-hitting tale of domestic abuse. With histrionics kept to a minimum, it's a sensitively handled, devastatingly acted work. Then, skipping down from the Cameo to the Filmhouse, it's on to American indie Dear Pillow, which details the sexual confusion of a teenage American boy, his horny landlady and the gay guy upstairs who gets paid to write readers' letters in a porn mag. It pushes taboo subjects with digital video freedom, but there's nothing here that couldn't be said in a 20-minute short. Afternoon: perhaps a screening, perhaps a live event. Today it's the latter. For an hour and a half, EIFF Artistic Director Shane Danielsen leads Walter Salles through the making of The Motorcycle Diaries, his philosophy of South American cinema and his career. Salles is fascinating on the spontaneity of the Che Guevara biopic shoot, but not so forthcoming about his remake of Japanese horror movie Dark Water, which he didn't mention by name, only as "the film I made in Canada". Salles said he was glad he had a "return ticket" from Hollywood back to his own style of films. Evening: either sit in on public premieres or hobnob at a soiree. Tonight it's the party for the Mirrorball section of the festival. Long before Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry broke into features, Edinburgh's Mirrorball was banging the drum for music videos as an art form in their own right. It's the part of the programme that gives Edinburgh its uniquely cool credentials, and this year's selection includes focuses on Japan and South America, 'best of' round-ups featuring The Streets, Basement Jaxx, Scissor Sisters and Franz Ferdinand, plus a couple of much anticipated feature documentaries on Metallica and The Ramones. Dougal Wilson (voted Best Video Director at this year's Music Week Awards) and promo industry guru Richard Kenworthy of Shynola drop into the packed Mirrorball opening party, as does Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock (but more of him tomorrow). Watching videos old and new on screens dotted around the room (including some great Chris Cunningham classics for Aphex Twin), this is what it feels like to be in the right place at the right time. Flashforward - Day 3 Highlights If you're planning to check out the festival on Saturday, you won't want to miss: Shane Meadows Short Film Event (UGC, 2pm) As well as premiering his latest feature, Dead Man's Shoes, on Friday, Meadows drives north with four recent short films under his arm, all starring the great Paddy Considine. Stage Beauty (Dominion, 7pm) Director Richard Eyre is in town to introduce this quick-witted exploration of sexuality, gender and acting in the days of Charles II. Riding Giants (UGC, 8pm) From the history of skateboarding in Dogtown And Z-Boys to the history of surfing in Stacy Peralta's latest thrilling assemblage of archival footage and key interviews. Alan Morrison