Resurrection Music MIFF

Love a good music doc and yesterday I did two
but gee although they were the same they were also entirely different.
Both were about resurrecting an old music and bringing it to a new audience of today. 

Harana,
about the dying art of the serenade in the phillipines.

The Stone Roses - made of stone
about the seminal Madchester Brit Band's reformation & come back gig

So both had a similar format. After revealing the music, they roll out the exponents of the music (rather old at this stage), they bond and play, then they rehearse for a finale show. That's pretty stripped back but sorta it essentially.

Music as feel good.
It's pretty hard to dodge if the musicians are good and these are two examples of just that!

Harana was like a nice cozy, fluffy blanket that slowly enveloped you until you realised you were warm as toast with a beaming smile on. And what a great feeling that is. The gentleness and fragility of the Haranaistas is totally engaging and you wonder if they are up to it. Some have not performed for 20+ years, but as their journey unfolds we are witness to a beautiful bond between them that grows and becomes infectious and before you know it you to are connected. Lovely settings, beautiful souls and sublime music and singing. And it's all in the name of love. Brilliant!

Made of Stone was a lot more up-beat, the music was more recognisable but you still had that warm feeling and that big big smile.  This doco didn't have a lot of material to work with which may come as a surprise but just have a look at one of their early interviews (1988 or so) and they just don't go beyond monosyllabic answers whilst looking supremely stoned. Most of the doco features the band reforming and rehearsing for the big come back concert but the way it is structured, using the archival footage sparingly and effectively takes us on their journey in a truly engaging way. Unlike the band in its heyday the film is not indulgent but gives you just enough of the music to please the die hard fans with one great extended track at the end which demonstrates the bands ease with 'the groove'. They have such a great tight sound for a four piece. The editing of this section is excellent and great example of the craft of cutting to music but still driving a story. Beautiful!

But it would be a disservice to the films and the filmmakers if it wasn't pointed out that the musicians, ie the people are very central to both these films. We get into their world, their extraordinary world.

and there is still a chance in Melbourne to see both these docs

Sun 4 Aug 9:00 PM ACMI 1

Tue 6 Aug 6:30 PM Greater Union Cinema 6

Don't MIFF out!

Well I'm going to open my MIFF 2013 account with the latest film from Australia's most exciting auteur, Ivan Sen. My opening night will be Mystery Road and following it up the next day with a talk by Ivan Sen and Aaron Pederson.

 
Most have heard of his debut feature Beneath Clouds from 2002 which traveled and was well received at Cannes. But I came to his films via the intense, brooding and thoroughly noncommercial masterpiece Dreamland.


Dreamland - Trailer from Dreamland The Film on Vimeo.

This was followed up by Toomelah, bleak but beautiful and totally engaging. But it is the way Ivan makes his films that is just the icing on the cake. He is a one man band, not 100% but essentially. He writes, directs, shoots, composes and probably edits (though I'm not sure of this?) No one in Toomelah is an actor but can you pick it? No one had a script as such, Ivan fed them the lines that were for the shots/scene they were doing.


This one also traveled to Cannes in 2011.

But that is all in the past now because Mystery Road is upon us.
Ivan has returned to a more usual filmmaking process (he had a crew) and word is it is shot beautifully and has an amazing performance from Aaron Pederson plus other actors like Hugo Weaving, Ryan Kwanten, Jack Thompson, Jack Charles, Tasma Walton and Damian Walshe-Howling. Sounds cool on paper eh?

I'm up for a cracker. This Friday 26th July at the Forum. It is currently sold out but they will release the final tickets at 5pm on the night and there is always the stand-by queue at the venue.
One screening only? so it's tomoz or never! Why only one screening?