IndieMusic is back with a selection of films that bridge the gap between music and cinema and the spectrum couldn’t be wider: we have films about mainstream divas, underground heroes, dance floor legends. To be seen from April 28th to May 8th.
Opening the competition is Cesária Évora, by Ana Sofia Fonseca. The greatest name in morna music, the Cape Verdean diva is an example of someone who fought against prejudice all her life. Through the singer, the documentary crosses various social and political contexts. From Mindelo to New York: Patti Smith, Electric Poet, by Anne Cutaia & Sophie Peyrard. A 50-year career, only one hit and no desire to play it safe. Still in NY, Songs For Drella, a performance by Lou Reed and John Cale captured in 1991 by Ed Lachman, which we show in a restored version. The concert film by the ex-Velvet Underground duo accompanies the album of the same title, based on a series of pieces inspired by their mentor, Andy Warhol. Younger but just as iconic, Courtney Barnett is the focus of Anonymous Club, the antithesis of a rock biography by Danny Cohen. The film shows an enigmatic singer-songwriter, a recluse dealing with public acclaim. In Nothing Compares, Kathryn Ferguson draws a parallel between Sinéad O’Connor’s career and the turbulent past of Ireland, where she was born. It is especially focused on the period between 1987, the year she released her debut album, and 1992, when she ripped a photo of Pope John Paul II live on SNL. Rewind and Play, by Alain Gomis, takes an interview with Thelonious Monk on French television in 1969 to show a man in constant struggle, both against prejudice and the expectations built up around his music and his identity.
From the stage to the dancefloors, Italo Disco. The Sparkling Sound of the 80s, by Alessandro Melazzini, takes us to the music of Sabrina and La Bionda and the very particular imagery of Italo Disco, with its aggressive 4/4 rhythms and euphoric synthesizers. On the dance floor, but in a darker corner, Laurent Garnier: Off the Record, by Gabin Rivoire, traces the long career of the French DJ and producer, one of the biggest names in the 90s house boom. More recent but no less danceable, Batida Apresenta: The Almost Perfect Dj, by Pedro Coquenão, a short based on the performance with the same title. Still in the electronic music scene but now in a much more experimental tone, Telectu, with Vítor Rua and Jorge Lima Barreto, land at IndieMusic with Sonosfera Telectu, in its world premiere and directed by Carlos Mendes, Ilda Teresa Castro, Vasco Bação, and by Vítor Rua himself. The film follows in an immersive way the life on the road of the avant-garde duo, during the 80s, 90s and 2000s. We continue in the exploratory music field with A Escuta, by Inês Oliveira, also in its world premiere, which accompanies one of the most important names in Portuguese experimental music, violinist Carlos “Zingaro”, who also performs on the day of the screening, at Culturgest. In the experimental but more underground music scene, Alexandra Cabral & Ian Svenonius, the former lead singer of the mythical The Make-up and Nation of Ulysses, explore conceptual cinema with The Lost Record. The film reflects on the idea of the work of art as a catalyst for revolutionary change and its ability to become a golem or Frankenstein, something that the creator himself no longer controls. Also within the scope of IndieLisboa, the duo will perform at Musicbox with the project Escape-ism, on May 6th, and tickets are already available. Finally, Love, Deutschmarks and Death, by Cem Kaya, documents the unknown music scene resulting from the Turkish emigration to Germany, perpetuated by the grandchildren of this first wave of emigrants.
Lots of music to discover in this series of films, which is the first advance in this section. The jury for this edition is composed of radio broadcaster Ricardo Mariano, from Rádio SBSR, visual artist and composer Diana Policarpo and Francisca Salema, also known as Sallim, a multidisciplinary artist that we associate with the Lisbon label Cafetra, with whom she has edited two solo albums. This is the nineteenth edition of IndieLisboa, which runs from April 28th to May 8th.
The IndieMusic 2022 playlist is now available on Spotify to whet your appetite for what’s to come:
The full list of IndieMusic 2022 films:
Anonymous Club, Danny Cohen
Batida Apresenta: The Almost Perfect Dj, Pedro Coquenão
Cesária Évora, Ana Sofia Fonseca
A Escuta, Inês Oliveira
Italo Disco. The sparkling sound of the 80s, Alessandro Melazzini
Laurent Garnier: Off the Record, Gabin Rivoire
The Lost Record, Alexandra Cabral and Ian F Svenonius
Love, Deutschmarks and Death, Cem Kaya
Nothing Compares, Kathryn Ferguson
Patti Smith, Electric poet, Anne Cutaia and Sophie Peyrard
Rewind and Play, Alain Gomis
Songs for Drella, Ed Lachman
Sonosfera Telectu, Vasco Bação, Vítor Rua and Ilda Teresa Castro