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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Cairo Jazzman
Atef Ben Bouzid IFFR 2017 82′Passionate Amr Salah is an Egyptian jazz composer and musician trying to organise the Cairo Jazz Festival; a risky undertaking, not only because of his limited experience, but mainly also due to the increasingly intolerant social climate. This political music documentary simultaneously paints an atmospheric portrait of the Egyptian capital.
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Two Trains Runnin'
Sam Pollard IFFR 2017 82′1964: young, white blues fans go in search of two legends they only know from 78 RPM records, Skip James and Son House. They end up in the eye of a racial storm that led to civil rights and new inspiration for folk singers. A painfully contemporary documentary story.
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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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War of Words
Craig Tuohy, Tom Worth IFFR 2017 63′Warning: explicit language! What started as an internet phenomenon is now in the streets, bars and even in major arenas: the noble art of verbal humiliation. Rap without brakes. The culture clash between the latest generation of American and British battle rappers is its entertaining highlight.