Erbarme dich - Matthäus Passion Stories is a labyrinthine narrative in which notables such as Peter Sellars, Emio Greco, Simon Halsey and painter Rinke Nijburg explain their special relationship with Bach’s St Matthew Passion to Ramón Gieling (Johan Cruijff: en un momento dado). They speak against the backdrop of a church which has fallen into disrepair, while a choir of homeless people and Pieter Jan Leusink’s Bach Choir & Orchestra rehearse the Passion. Leusink isn't just the conductor, he is one of the main characters himself, with a painful past in which this musical piece has played a dominant role. Stories from the others alternate seamlessly with this. We learn how the St Matthew Passion played a decisive role in the relations between men and women, fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, mothers and their unborn children, and finally that in spite of our differences we all find a common denominator in the secret of Bach's music.
The film traces over 10 years of uninhibited activism by this modern tribe, from the first underground parties to the temples of showbiz society. The Heretik have climbed all the way to the legendary Olympia concert hall in Paris. Immerse yourself in the tormented intimacy of a leading counter-culture band.
"The Sky Remains The Same As Ever" is a nearly two-hour document of the recording sessions for Mono's "You Are There", and the several worldwide tours that followed its release.
Mulheres Compositoras na História de Passo Fundo (MCHPF)
This documentary film is about the making of U2's Achtung Baby. In 2011, U2 returned to Hansa Studios in Berlin to discuss the making of Achtung Baby. This film is directed by Davis Guggenheim. Screened in the UK as part of the BBC's Imagine series, this film was the first ever documentary to open the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival. Included is bonus footage of "So Cruel," "Love is Blindness," and "The Fly" shot in May 2010 during the band's visit to Hansa Studios to mark the 20th anniversary of Achtung Baby. Also included is a Q&A with Bono, The Edge, and Davis Guggenheim filmed at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2011.
"mm"s are m(usic(ian's))m(eetings) mostly held at the Who Unit? in Pittsburgh as a 21st century salon of sorts where formal interests can be broached casually. Attendees delight in sharing their sometimes obscure & sometimes popular musical (& otherwise) loves. For mm 49 (in the 37th month of "mm"'s history) a marathon listening party celebrating the music of Vivian Fine was decided upon. Fine was a dedicated composer who produced a variety of work over a 70 year career. This movie, of course, is not an imitation of Ken Burns style documentary movie-making. Instead, I gleefully mix the casualness & lively uninhibited conversation of mms with the formal exactitude of Fine's music. I hope you enjoy it as an upstanding example of Punk Classical. "Bah to the Bourgeoisie"! Note that I'm starting to disappear in this movie - will you miss me when I'm gone? This is my 111th feature & my 404th movie.
Maria Bethânia: Tempo Tempo Tempo Tempo
I'm sure all the old time Overkill fans out there remember Lee "Rat Skates" Kundrat, the band's original drummer. He's gone into indie film and video production over the years, and he's just released a DVD called "BORN IN THE BASEMENT" about the early days of not only Overkill but the east coast metal/thrash scenes in general.
The story behind the epic Queen single.
Children and childhood fascinated Benjamin Britten throughout his life and inspired some of his greatest music. John Bridcut's compelling film sheds light on the composer's own inner child throiugh interviews with several of Britten's former companions and muses.
In Flames world tour captured by filmmaker Patric Ullaeus.
The documentary "Tim Christensen: From Roskilde to Abbey Road" by the Danish film maker Theis Molin, follows Christensen and band from their 2004 performance on the Green Stage of the Roskilde Festival to the show at the Abbey Road Studios.
When Leipzig pianist Kyra Steckeweh realized that her repertoire almost exclusively consisted of music composed by men, she began searching for pieces written by female composers. Her research in archives, libraries, and publishing houses quickly brought to light a variety of remarkable piano pieces that have been buried in history and rarely performed.
Queremos tanto a Bruno
The documentary film on the life and legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk – a one of a kind musician, personality, activist and windmill slayer who despite being blind, becoming paralyzed, and facing America’s racial injustices - did not relent.
The story of London's toughest and poorest part as told through the eyes of the iconic band Cockney Rejects.
Toronto filmmaker Charles Officer profiles the young people of Villaways Park, a housing project on brink of historic change.
This documentary, shot entirely on location in Havana, includes many band members' insights into this revival, and features performance footage of an All-Stars' concert at the city's Salon of Dreams.
The Road Forward is an electrifying musical documentary that connects a pivotal moment in Canada’s civil rights history—the beginnings of Indian Nationalism in the 1930s—with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today. Interviews and musical sequences describe how a tiny movement, the Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood, grew to become a successful voice for change across the country. Visually stunning, The Road Forward seamlessly connects past and present through superbly produced story-songs with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats.
Filmmaker Michael Stillwater explores and celebrates the universal current pulsing through all forms of life through music and sound.