I'm sorry to say that I haven't seen Academy Award-winning director Leon Gast and his lovely wife Geri since last year's WFF. Leon is a very nice guy and in terms of Hollywood, a real legend. That's Bearsville Theater manager Lisa Hantes, WFF publicist Ilene Marder, Leon, and his wife Geri last night at the theater in the photo.
Leon, of course, made "When We Were Kings," the great movie about the infamous 1974 boxming match in the Congo between Muhammad Ali and George Frazier.
I was lingering around the after party last night in the Bearsville Theater green room, when WFF Executive Director Meira Blaustein introduced Bela Fleck to Leon. Bela seemed very excited to meet Leon and connected with him as a fellow filmmaker - Bela of course is in town to promote his new movie, "Thrown Down Your Heart" - but took things even further.
He told Leon that "When We Were Kings" was constantly watched on past Flecktones - Bela's other band - tour buses. Bela also told Leon that one of the Flecktones, I couldn't hear who, actually ran into Ali once in Kentucky.
Good stuff. And we'll have much, much more on Leon later.
Good to see you, Leon.
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