The Best Waitress in the World (11 min. 1992) Written and Directed by Lester Alfonso. Produced and edited by Lester Alfonso and Joshua Rifkin.
Day 64 — There’s so much to say about The Best Waitress in the World, I don’t even know where to begin. I’m awash with all of the nostalgia since I found my archive folder on the project. I kept the original notes I wrote with my collaborator Joshua Rifkin. I found handwritten pages from our journals, black and white photos, storyboards, and floorplans. I guess I’ve been saving this stuff and carting it around wherever I moved for almost thirty years just waiting for a time like today.
In one of the pages of his film journal, Josh said “Even though I shared in the process of making the film, the story within the film is not mine, it’s Lester’s. My job was to listen to help re-write, to play the audience, to play devil’s advocate, to edit, and to be a friend. I was there along for the ride. Like the way Nick Carraway helped Gatsby fulfill his vision… Now, in theory, terms like “fulfilling a personal vision” sound good but in practice, it means a whole lot of labor. But if you’ve got a vision, the rest is easy — or should I say — the rest can be arranged.”
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
The Great Gatsby
Today is the YouTube/Facebook premiere of The Best Waitress in the World. Enjoy! Stay tuned for more! —LA
P.S. If you’re liking these daily posts, perhaps you can consider becoming a monthly donor for a year or making a one-time contribution. It would seriously help a lot. Your money goes directly into supporting an artist committed to continually become the best version of himself. Thank you so much! Much love, LA