Zeitgeist Theater

It's real name is Zeitgeist Multidisciplinary Arts Center, that's a mouthful. Rene Broussard has been the proprietor of Zeitgeist in its many incarnations since the late 80's, I think. The 20th anniversary of Zeitgeist was a few years back... back before dvds, before the internet was everywhere, Zeitgeist was the thing that made me think I could live in New Orleans. Now that it's so much easier to sit at home and be entertained, Zeitgeist has fewer regulars, but it's worth a trip to see their excellent new digs on Oretha Castle Haley in the same building as Saturn Screenprinting. I just saw Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg there while imbibing in the drink of my choice, sitting a couch, so it was practically like home. My Winnipeg was a funny film, more accessible than most Maddin fare, that made me feel cold and nostalgic for a city of sleepwalkers that I've never seen. Maddin imaginatively riffs on Winnipeg's past and future and his place in it, and his odd attachment to his mother. For people who wonder why they stay in a certain place (ahem), it's a empathetic view. Zeitgiest has a Patti Smith film coming up, after Rene returns from his yearly Toronto film fest trip. He doesn't advertise, so you have to check the website!