[nickf]

see http://www.telefilm.gc.ca/data/production/....asp?lang=en&ca a documetary on Gavin Wolpert and Vince Demuy and the world of professional bridge.

It's on CTV in canada on april 7th at 7pm.

btw, if anyone can get a digital copy, please pm me.

thanks.

nickf
sydney

[chicken]

i would appreciate to get a copy too somehow. films about bridge are so rare...
actually besides the dvd-coverage of istanbul 2004 i have never seen any dvd dealing with bridge again.

[SoTired]

If you follow the link, the article starts, "It's not easy making your living playing cards, especially when you're playing a dying game. "

A DYING GAME? BOY!! THAT IS A DISCUSSION AND A HALF.

[barmar]

A couple of generations ago, most educated adults knew how to play bridge, and bridge superstars were minor celebrities. So while bridge isn't yet on the verge of extinction, it's definitely been on its way down for decades.

[Aberlour10]

SoTired, on Mar 16 2007, 12:40 PM, said:

"It's not easy making your living playing cards, especially when you're playing a dying game."

It must be a very hard work for professional players to make a real "miles & boards marathon" like a one C. Balicki & A. Zmudzinski did in only 7 weeks:

Poland>>>Japan(NEC)>>Poland>>Moscov(Slava Cup)>>>Poland>>>Amsterdam(Whithe House)>>>Poland>>>China(YEH)>>>Poland>>>St Luis(6 hard days of Vandy).... all top tournaments in which the sponsors expect top play and results.


Robert

[jim420]

barmar, on Mar 18 2007, 06:52 AM, said:

A couple of generations ago, most educated adults knew how to play bridge, and bridge superstars were minor celebrities. So while bridge isn't yet on the verge of extinction, it's definitely been on its way down for decades.

partly because of that invention called "computer games" and its effect on the youth?

bridge still has its tradition though after this many years, and it's definitely not "dying"...how inappropriate that word was

[jillybean]

From ACBL HQ:

Quote

IN THE CARDS
 
As every bridge player knows, playing your cards well is only half of the game. The other half, which is perhaps even more challenging, is dealing well with your partner. The relationship that exists between two bridge partners is often as intimate, as complicated, and as volatile as a marriage. It's that dynamic that separates bridge from almost every other game. And it's that dynamic that makes the game so exciting,

In The Cards is a one-hour television documentary airing on CTV on April 7 at 7 p.m.  (check your local listing) that's about one of the most exciting partnerships in the world of bridge. They're young. They're brash. And they're Canadian. Their names are Gavin Wolpert and Vincent Demuy, and In The Cards follows them for almost two years as they struggle first to prove themselves as a professional partnership, and then to maintain their partnership, and even their friendship, as the competitive pressure mounts.

Filmed during a variety of events between 2004 and 2007 -- including the National Swiss, the Blue Ribbon Pairs, the Spingold, the Reisinger, the Cavendish, the World Junior Championships, and the Canadian Nationals -- the documentary captures the intensity and the excitement of high-level bridge.

How will the boys do when they're hired by Jim Mahaffey, a real estate tycoon and one of the richest sponsors in bridge? Will Gavin be able to keep up with Vince's prodigious talent? Will Vince be able to control his temper when Gavin makes mistakes? And what happens to their partnership when Gavin starts to play with his girlfriend, Jenny Ryman, as well as with Vince?

The documentary also features cameos by such well-known bridge figures as Fred Gitelman, George Mittelman, Hazel Wolpert, Rose Meltzer, George Rosenkranz, and Sabine Auken. Eric Kokish, the renowned bridge coach from Toronto, is a major commentator throughout the documentary.
 
But at heart, In The Cards is a story about two young men trying to make their way in the world. It's got a heart-warming ending, but there are plenty of twists and turns along the way.

The CBF wanted to make all Canadian Bridge players aware of this documentary.  Please accept our apologies if you would have preferred not to receive this notice.

[kenberg]

If it is possible to watch this in the US I would like to. Given the story as outlined in Jilly's post maybe they should title it "Desperate Bridgeplayers".

[firmit]

How was the documentary? I would really like to see it. Anyone got an idea how to view it online - or download?

[jillybean]

I havent seen it yet due to Easter Festivities, I do have a friend who recorded it to DVD for me. I'm not sure what I can do regarding distributing it, legally or otherwise.

[Badmonster]

I called ctv and asked how to get a copy of this film. They said,"huh?" But the very nice woman I spoke to will try to hunt it down and get some information. I'll let you all know what transpires.

[cjames]

If someone knows how to get a copy, could you PM me? I must see this one

[glen]

Gavin Wolpert's comments on the documentary are in his relatively new blog, at:

Gavin Wolpert's Bridge Blog

The documentary was shown at the same time as a Toronto-Montreal hockey game, and at the start time of the Toronto regional evening session. There is no sign, yet, of it showing up on the CTV network broadband site.

[cherdano]

Jlall, on Apr 19 2007, 10:05 AM, said:

We are working to get the documentary put up on youtube. So far the first 2 segments are up.

http://squeezingthedummy.blogspot.com/2007...ocumentary.html

Great! When you have them all up, maybe you could try to get greatbridgelinks.com to link to them?

[Badmonster]

I think it's wonderful you got it up so we can all see it, but I worry that it will make it much harder for the producer to find a us market, I wrote to Andy Petersen about a week ago, and she mentioned that they are trying to sell it to US TV.