Films/Programs
Face the Music
Each year, SIFF presents a series of films that bring great music to the screen and portray the fascinating faces and stories behind the sound. The 8 new documentaries featured here provide windows into the personal worlds of masters, unsung heroes, and raw talents. They explore musical styles from around the globe ranging from the art of the Tango in Argentina, to the creative process behind virtual hip-hop band the Gorillaz. They shed light on rock icon Patti Smith, the often-overlooked jazz great, Billy Strayhorn, and balance tradition with new vision. From heavy metal group Anvil to a husband-and-wife Neil Diamond and Patsy Cline tribute act; from the first head-bangers in a war-torn Iraq, to a Sudanese former child soldier promoting peace through hip-hop; we are witness to a new music in a changing world. Face the Music brings us into the personal stories of music makers who, despite the odds, just won’t give up. These films show the transformative power of music, but also make one thing abundantly clear: it doesn’t come easy. This program celebrates great music by illuminating the hopes, struggles, and triumphs behind it.
In addition, SIFF is pleased to present a unique live event bringing music and film together. The Album Leaf will perform a new original score, adding a layer of aural poetry to F. W. Murnau's compelling 1927 American debut Sunrise, a silent-era melodramatic masterpiece. A beautiful, atmospheric, lyrical, and poetic work of art with roots in the German Expressionist movement, it is considered one of the greatest films ever made!
Sponsored By:
Film.com, KEXP 90.3 Seattle, RealNetworks
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USA, 2008, 80 min.
A hilarious, headbanging, and heartwarming portrait of the world's hardest-working, most under-appreciated metal band. Once playing stadiums, the now middle-aged Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner have continued to rock in obscurity and hope for that increasingly improbable big break.
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USA, 2007, 84 min.
While Billy Strayhorn may not be a household name, many of his songs are among the most recognizable in jazz. This is the story of the pioneering gay composer, arranger and pianist who wrote many of Duke Ellington’s most famous songs, including “Take The A-Train” and “Satin Doll.”
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Argentina, 2008, 90 min.
Award-winning composer Gustavo Santaollala (Brokeback Mountain) takes us on a journey into the heart of Argentina’s world famous tango, introducing veterans from the golden age of the ’40s and ’50s as they prepare for a memorable concert at Buenos Aires’ renowned Teatro Colón.
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USA, 2008, 93 min.
Emmanuel Jal was one of the many thousands of child soldiers who fought during the brutal two-decade civil war in Sudan. His survival was a long shot. His becoming one of Africa’s biggest hip-hop stars is even more incredible. This moving documentary traces Emmanuel’s remarkable story of survival an
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USA, 2007, 84 min.
Dogged Iraqi band Acrassicauda (Latin for “Black Scorpions”) dream of living in peace as longhaired head bangers. Can death threats, car bombs, and having their instruments fall foul of a SCUD missile shake their resolve to bring heavy metal to Baghdad?
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USA, 2008, 109 min.
A long-term observational documentary about rock icon, poet, activist, mother, and legend Patti Smith. Shot over the course of 11 years by photographer Steven Sebring, the film melodically weaves Smith’s own stream of consciousness narrative about her life with the material filmed by Sebring.
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USA, 2008, 87 min.
A portrait of a Milwaukee-based duo Lighting & Thunder, a pair of celebrity impersonators dedicated to performing as Neil Diamond and Patsy Cline. The film follows the pair and their family from the high of performing with Pearl Jams' Eddie Vedder to the struggles of maintaining their careers in
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USA, 1927, 95 min.
Renowned Sub Pop artist The Album Leaf will perform a new live score to Sunrise—still recognized as one of the greatest films ever made. F.W. Murnau’s first American film takes a trite if classic situation and launches it towards the realm of fable and pure visual poetry.
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USA, 2008, 95 min.
What do the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, The Monkees, and The Mamas and Papas have in common? Aside from hit songs, they all recorded with The Wrecking Crew. Meet this extraordinarily talented gang of Los Angeles studio musicians who helped create the soundtrack of America.
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