Projects in genres: Music

Synopsis

This film is a haunting collision of past and present, presided over by the high priests of the great tradition of American music, Jack White and T Bone Burnett, who also executive produced with Robert Redford. Long before digital file sharing, MP3, compact discs, tape and vinyl, a machine was forged from ingenuity. The Western Electric lathe, a marvel of analogue engineering operated by a weight and pulleys, pioneered the recording of American music. In an old Hollywood studio, one has been lovingly reassembled. In it, White gathers an extraordinary convocation of musical superstars, all keen to cut a record in the unforgiving three minutes the Western Electric provides. Featuring live performances from Elton John, Nas, Willie Nelson, Alabama Shakes, Steve Martin, Ana Gabriel, Merle Haggard, Taj Mahal and many more. (LFF brochure) BFI London Film Festival 2015 - World premiere

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The Bolshoi Ballet. Symbol of Russia, a world-famous national treasure - mystical and intriguing. Recently, however, the ballet company has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The 2013 acid attack on the company’s director Sergei Filin, intrigue and management changes have created lurid headlines. Director Nick Read gains remarkable access to the inner workings of the company for the first time as they move into a new chapter in the wake of the notorious attack. The film gives a voice to artistes and company members who are not usually in the limelight in irreverent and candid terms. Combining epic themes with intimate portraits, and historical dramas with the untold personal stories of agony and ecstasy that lie behind every acclaimed performance. Toronto International Film Festival 2015 - World premiere

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A reimagining of jazz legend Chet Baker's life in the 1960s. When Chet (with talent to burn and movie-star looks that have him dubbed the “James Dean of Jazz“) stars in a film about himself, romance blossoms with the African American female lead, the enigmatic Jane. Production is shelved when a vicious beating leaves Chet in a condition where he may never play music again. Jane challenges Chet to avoid self-destruction, overcome his drug addiction, and mount a musical comeback against all the odds. Official Selection Toronto 2015 - Special Presentations

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A fascinating insight into the making of Arcade Fire's international number one album 'Reflektor'. Award-winning filmmaker Kahlil Joseph recontextualizes the album experience and the band's creative journey, transporting viewers into a kaleidoscopic sonic and visual landscape. The film includes breathtaking performances, never before seen personal interviews and intimate moments captured by the band. Toronto International Film Festival 2015 - World premiere

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Two children escape their oppressive care home to sneak into a 1940s jazz club in London

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Six Portraits of Clara Schumann resolves into perhaps the oldest multiple we know.

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A woman. A house. Sheets stir... new beginnings await. Using dance as a unique cinematic language this film explores women's stories inside the house. Therein lies a world of memory, joy, violence and transformation.

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An image taken from the internet of the young Ezio Pinza and an old vinyl recording of this great Italian singer are brought together.

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The Ambiguity of David Thomas Broughton is a music documentary following the creative process of one of the UK’s most enigmatic musicians and performers. As a musical act, David Thomas Broughton is almost unclassifiable. His live shows are a exhilarating mix of musical experimentation and performance art, underlined by a raw unpredictability. His recorded material is dark but beautiful, marrying traditional folk with a surrealist edge. Off-stage, he’s an introvert with a passion for bird watching. Who is the real David Thomas Broughton? Through a series of interviews with friends, family and collaborators, filmmaker Greg Butler attempts to unravel this ambiguity. His journey takes him to David’s home town of Otley, where we track David’s creative process as he records new material to be played at the End of the Road Festival.

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After being sacked as a team member of spray tanning company Powell's, local lad Tim Lyons is placed in the spotlight, when an opportunity arises to go back to where it all started for him and make amends for previous failures.

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"The striking and brutal realities of the students struggling for food, shelter and medication. Mimi's death from TB - and her illness unnoticed at first even by her closest friends - cannot but send a chilling chord in our modern world." A Cape Town-set reworking of Puccini’s La Bohème, sung in Xhosa (with some English dialogue). 'Breathe Umphefumlo' sees director Mark Dornford-May (U-Carmen eKhayelitsha) reunited with singer Pauline Malefane and the Isango Ensemble. Berlinale 2015, Berlinale Special - World premiere

Synopsis

Singer, songwriter and actor Derek Dick, better known as Fish, was the lead singer of Marillion from 1981 until he left the band in 1988. 'Polska' is an access-all-areas pass, following Fish on his solo Fishheads Club Tour of Poland in 2011. Edinburgh International Film Festival 2015 - World premiere