The Scopitone programme (admission free) shows remarkable music documentaries in the Kleine Zaal of the Rotterdam Schouwburg. The fifth edition of this series of film will again be introduced by music connoisseur and film collector Fenno Werkman, and includes the documentaries Blackhearts (Norway, 2016) and Cairo Jazzman (Germany, 2017).
Films in ‘Scopitone’
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Placebo: Alt.Russia
Charlie Targett-Adams IFFR 2017 67′Fifteen years after they first played in Russia, British band Placebo tour there again. To keep things interesting they seek out like-minded alternative musicians, artists, designers and performance artists along the way. A disturbing look behind the scenes of a heavily controlled society.
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Blackhearts
Fredrik Horn Akselsen, Christian Falch IFFR 2017 84′In Norway, the birthplace of black metal, the genre went from being vilified to a tourist attraction in a little over 25 years. This mildly ironic documentary follows three young metal acts as they make their pilgrimages to the North. However, the situations in their home countries of Greece, Columbia and Iran are what make their quest so special.
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Luanda – Kinshasa
Stan Douglas IFFR 2017 365′In a meticulous reconstruction of a famous New York studio session, musicians jam for hours non-stop. Inspired by Godard’s film portrait of The Rolling Stones recording their hit single Sympathy for the Devil, Stan Douglas evokes a 1973 Miles Davis recording session.
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Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape
Zack Taylor IFFR 2017 93′If only you'd kept them! After vinyl, cassettes are also making a comeback. Contemporary hipsters, midlife daydreamers and octogenarian pioneers idiosyncratically declare their love for the handy format. With musicians Henry Rollins and Thurston Moore, and a leading role for Dutch inventor Lou Ottens.