Edgar Pêra, the ‘Kamera-Man’, has been shooting his cine-diaries since the 1980’s, paying special attention to punk bands. His “Kino-Pop Archives” include rare performances by singular Portuguese musicians, like Manuel João Vieira (Ena Pá 2000, Irmãos Catita e Corações de Atum).
In search of one of the 1960’s most astonishing voices, worshipped by her peers, but unknown to the general public, this is a road movie about the process of creation of the legendary singer Karen Dalton.
In the second half of the 1980s, an Portuguese independent music publisher was created, Ama Romanta. It was the alternative to the hidden censorship of the big label industry and its founder was João Peste (the charismatic vocalist of Pop Dell’Arte).
In the early 1990s, when hip-hop wasrisingin the USA, a bunch of kids fromthisside of the ocean were intensely listening to Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang Clan, Cypress Hill or De La Soul. They created a lively hip-hop culture in Porto, Portugal.
Studio 54 was the epicenter of 70s hedonism, a place that not only redefined the nightclub but also came to symbolize an entire era. Now, 39 years later, a feature documentary tells the real story behind the greatest club of all time.
Glasgow, beginning of the 1990’s: the spring spirit is simmering under suburban garages, where there is a nervous and energetic music cauldron from which arose bands like Teenage Fanclub, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Primal Scream. An unforgettable moment for indie music.
Portrait of Ryuichi Sakamoto, from pop icon of Japan’s technological aspirations to leading activist post-Fukushima, returning to music after a cancer for a major opus that may be his last. An intimate portrait of the man and his creative process.
Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam – better known as M.I.A. – is probably the most transgressive pop star in recent years.Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.portrays a woman who is a musical earthquake, but also a political one: always ready to call into question all forms of conservatism.
A portrait of renowned percussionist Milford Graves, exploring his kaleidoscopic creativity.Milford Graves Full Mantisoscillates from present to past and weaves intimate glimpses of the artist’s complex cosmology with blistering performances all over the world.
The all-female band L7 was composed by charismatic members who struggled against music industry and fan expectations.L7:Pretend We’re Deadis a real time journey witnessing the rise, fall, and ultimate redemption of these fierce feminist pioneers.
Through a series of interviews withpast and presenticonicmusicians, this documentary tracks down the American roots of techno and house music, brings the era of illegal raves to life, and tells the extraordinary tale of French Touch.
The Slits were agirls bandcreated in 1976 (that ended in 2010, when their lead vocalist, Ari Up, passed away). Godmothers of “Punky Reggae” they formed a feminist movement that never became mainstream but needs to be remembered.
Hip to da Hop is a journey through Portugal focusing on four elements that are the base of the hip hop culture: rapping, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti. A documentary that seeks to understand how each artist “appropriates their country’s culture in different ways”.
We are in the 1980s, in the state of Los Angeles, in the middle of the desert and suddenly we find a music and performance event.Desolation Centertells the story of a series of guerrilla mode happenings that were the response to the repressive years of the Reagan administration.
In 1997, the Western world was first introduced to the rich musical history of Ethiopia through the Éthiopiques series of CDs. The eponymous documentary tells the story of the French music journalist Francis Falceto, who masterminded this famous series.
Funk Queen Betty Davis changed the landscape for female artists in America. She “was the first Madonna before Madonna” as Miles Davis said. Despite being banned and boycotted, she went on to become the first black woman to perform, write and manage herself.
In 1976 four young men from post-industrial Manchester, went to see the Sex Pistols. They formed a band, Joy Division. Three years later it was a matter of art, life and death. Now 30 years later, they have a profound legacy that resonates fiercely in today’s heavily careerist music industry and over-mediated pop culture. Featuring the unprecedented participation of the surviving band members (now known as New Order), the film examines the band’s story.
As the front man of the Clash from 1977 onwards, Joe Strummer changed people’s lives forever. Four years after his death, his influence reaches out around the world, more strongly now than ever before. He is revealed not just as a legend or musician, but as a true communicator of our times. Drawing on both a shared punk history and the close personal friendship, Temple’s film is a celebration of Joe Strummer – before, during and after the Clash.