What’s Real, What’s Movies

Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini

are drinking together in a bar

and a guy walks in with a briefcase.

A quiet settles around everyone like dust.

“I’d start with a shot of the case,”

Bergman says, sipping his drink and

looking out of the side of his eyes.

Fellini puts his glass down and looks

real hard at the stranger for a moment.

“I’d put him in a clown outfit, on the

top of a Ferris wheel.  The briefcase,

I’d throw it away.”  The two men are quiet

for a moment.  “He’s dying,” Bergman says,

finally.