In between being terribly provoked by morons who will have to eat their words when the Great Day comes, I've been writing and thinking.

I changed the beginning of Twist (the magicians/casino heist script), but I hope I can remember how it was before because it's become more sensible but has lost its charm. I've also read Gambling Scams by Darwin Ortiz - totally fabulous name - and various interesting pamphlets sent by magician friends, including the low down on Terasabos (This Effect Requires Acting Skills And Balls Of Steel). Terasabos relies purely on psychological techniques and a tight script in order to pull off what appears to be an astounding mind-reading illusion. Magicians spend their days dreaming of how to astonish the laity, which is what they call us. They also love to be astonished by each other.

"UNSCRUPULOUS AND ARROGANT"

Some mentalists struggle with the ethics of the whole thing because, although some of them make a disclaimer about not having psychic powers, their entire act is intended to persuade you that they do. Some are totally unscrupulous or just arrogant, which is understandable after pulling the wool over people's eyes day after day. Unscrupulous and arrogant is acceptable, but the only thing the magic community really disapproves of is what they call "exposure" - explaining how a trick is performed.

Ford Cross was a North American mentalist who presented himself as genuinely psychic. He duped women by telling them they were cursed and would only be released by having sex with him. Many gullible women agreed. One was the wife of a policeman, who duly took Ford Cross to court. His mentalist friend, Bob Cassidy - who also happened to be a barrister (a lot of lawyers in the magic world) - defended him in what he called "the last witchcraft trial" and got him off. It's nasty but not illegal to lie in order to get people to have sex with you.

There's nobody more cynical than a magician about spiritual matters - they spend all their time figuring out how to pull the wool over people's eyes. In fact the very first magic book, by Reginald Scott - The Discoverie Of Witchcraft - was written in 1564 to try and prevent magicians being burnt as witches by explaining exactly how tricks were done.

On Thursday I flew to the Natfest in Copenhagen, Denmark, and stayed until Sunday. They were showing both The Principles Of Lust and The Death Of Klinghoffer. I had agreed ages ago thinking that I would be taking a breather after finishing both scripts (hollow laugh). The Principles Of Lust played to a packed house on Friday night and had very enthusiastic reviews from all the main critics. Ebbe Iverson, who turns out to be a heavyweight critic, was genuinely shocked when I explained about the mainly excoriating UK press reactions. He said he had found the film funny and brave and moving, and that he had loved it. He wrote a good piece about both films.

"PROFOUNDLY AFFECTED BY THE FILM"

The Death Of Klinghoffer was on the following day. It wasn't as full but I could sense it was a 'muso' audience. When I introduced the film, I noticed a row of young people all eating sweets and foolishly wondered whether they realised they were about to watch a two-hour opera about terrorism. It turned out they were all opera-singing students from the Conservatory in Copenhagen and had come with their teacher. They came up at the end with lots of other people and told me they had been profoundly affected by the film. They wanted to ask technical questions but said they were still too overwhelmed by the music and images to speak. There is a DVD of the film with some good extras which explain how we made it.

But a Russian journalist I had been very friendly with for a couple of days refused to speak to me after she had seen The Principles Of Lust. She wouldn't even walk down the street in the same group.

So this is how it is. People tell you you're s***. People tell you you're brilliant.

I'm going back to work. The only thing which makes any of this bearable is knowing that you have made the film you wanted to make. And I did.