Björk, Nas, the French House music scene and a beguiling tribute to the work of Alan Lomax are among the highlights of this year’s BFI London Film Festival. Watch the trailers below.
I hope you’ll be aware by now, but the 58th BFI London Film Festival kicks off on October 9. Running through to October 20, there’s a lot of strong movies in the line-up – Peter Strickland’s The Duke Of Burgundy, Brad Pitt’s Fury, The White Haired Witch Of Lunar Kingdom, The Salvation and a restored print of Robert Altman‘s Come Back To The Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.
But, of course, as ever there’s also a rich seam of music films in evidence at the festival. And below, here’s trailers for my five recommendations. By the way, you can find more general information about this year’s festival by clicking here. But I’ve embedded specific links to each of the individual films below.
The 78 Project Movie
Taking their cue from Alan Lomax, Alex Steyermark and Lavinia Jones Wright traveled America recording record today’s musicians on 1930s technology.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAEEWi0-spw
Click here for screening details.
Björk: Biophilia Live
Peter Strickland has a busy Festival: his drama, The Duke Of Burgundy, starring Borgen’s Sidse Babett Knudsen, is in the festival’s Official Competition. He also has this, an extraordinary document of Björk’s live Biophilia experience.
Click here for screening details.
Eden
The French do coming-of-age dramas better than anyone; especially those set against strong cultural backdrops. Here, Mia Hansen-Løve – director of Father Of My Children – gives us a snapshot of French youth set during the French House music scene that spawned Daft Punk and many others.
Click here for screening details.
Keep On Keepin’ On
One of the last of the true greats, trumpeter Clark Terry has played with everyone from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis; in Alan Hicks’ debut documentary, we witness his evolving friendship with blind protégé Justin Kauflin.
Click here for screening details.
Nas: Time is Illmatic
Absorbing documentary on Nas’ 1994 album, Illmatic, tracing his trajectory from New York’s Queensbridge projects to high-level rapper.
Click here for screening details.