Photo: Vincent Onorati
Green Porno came to Greenpoint.
Is it possible you’ve not heard of Green Porno? Actress Isabella Rossellini, Green Porno series’ writer, director and sole human actor, explained to a packed crowd at Coco66, last night, that she wanted to do some directing, and she loves animals, and one of the positives about getting older is that it’s now or never: “When you don’t have much time left, you do what you want.” What she wanted to do was explain the sex lives of animals. In very short films—using rudimentary sets, costumes, props and lots of construction paper.
How did this event come to Greenpoint’s WORD? Christine Onorati, owner of the popular bookstore on Franklin Ave, reveals that it started with, of all things, a Twitter message (aka a “tweet”) to HarperStudio asking whether a screening of the Green Porno movies would be possible. “’Sure,’ came the reply. ‘Do you want Isabella to come, too?’”
“Ummm…yes. Yes, please.”
Needless to say, it was standing room only. I sat atop a covered pool table and was fortunate to see easily above a mass of heads. According to Onorati about 230 people attended. Originally scheduled to take place at the bookstore, the event was moved to Coco66 within 2 days of its announcement because it immediately sold out, with additional turn-aways at the door. Not a bad deal either, tickets were $25 for two seats, and a copy of Rossellini’s accompanying book. The screenings were divided into two themes: Insects and Marine Animals, with Rossellini speaking before each, and at the end a Q & A with the audience. When that was over, she did a book signing. And you better believe that everyone with a book got it signed (okay, I didn’t but that’s just me). I have to say I was impressed—she signed books, smiled, chatted, posed for photographs, did a second take when the first didn’t come out. Charming throughout.
A friend of mine overheard a woman in the crowd saying that she came alone because she couldn’t get any of her friends to come to Greenpoint from Manhattan. Fie! And a pox on you! Okay, so don’t come. Leaves more Isabella fabulousness for us. This is why we live in North Brooklyn, right? Because we get a wonderful store like WORD, which puts on amazing events like Green Porno with Isabella Rossellini, and they do it at Coco66, which has free truffle popcorn. And then you can walk home afterwards, knowing that you’ve witnessed greatness, suffused with the aura of Isabella.
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