The Melbourne International Film Festival delivers the goods for cinemaphiles and music fans alike between July 25th and the August 10th across the city’s cinemas.
The Backbeat programme of musical docos features a stellar collection of films, with something for almost every music fan. Here’s a very quick rundown just a few of the music documenters:
Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell
An exploration of the avant-garde composer whose work spanned pop, disco, classical and abstract experimentation. Includes interviews with collaborators Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg
Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet
The rise of the ChipTunes movement playing Nintendo or Gameboy consoles as musical instruments – focuses on the Blip Festival in Manhattan starring world’s best 8-bit artists.
Respect Yourself: The Stax Story
Otis Redding, the Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, Eddie Floyd, Booker T and the MGs. What more could you want – plus it’s narrated by Samuel L Jackson, of course.
Bob Marley: Freedom Road
The Upsetter: The life and Music of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry
A double bill of two of reggae’s most important musicians.
The Wrecking Crew
You may not know the name, but you certainly know their music. The Wrecking Crew were the session musicians on The Beach Boys Pet Sounds, recorded with Frank and Nancy Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, The Monkees, Mamas and Papas and were pivotal in Phil Spector’s ‘Wall of Sound’ production style.
Kate Bush – Under Review
Touted as a must see for Bush fans the film features rare promo shoots and interviews with Bush and her producers, friends and fellow musicians.
You can also catch docos on Lou Reed, Wanda Jackson, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Pete Seeger and the world of Heavy Metal.
Plus there are many great films that aren’t musically focused including a focus on Ozploitation films, a George A Romero retrospective and a tribute to the 40th Anniversary of the Cannes Directors Fortnight. You can also catch films from directors like Takashi Miike, Jennifer Lynch, Nick Broomfield, Jacques Rivette, Claude Chabrol, Michael Haneke, Eric Rohmer, Brian De Palma, Peter Greenaway, Wayne Wang, Ken Loach, Bruce La Bruce, Julian Temple and the Dardenne brothers.
For more details hit the festival website HERE.
