The Old Weird America: Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music

Prepare for an eclectic journey through ‘The Old Weird America’. Rani Singh’s fast-paced and varied documentary tracks the history of Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music from its initial compilation of 78 rpm records from rural Americana to its release on Folkways Records in 1952. Instrumental in helping inspire the urban folk revival of the 1960s, the Anthology continues to influence modern music. An incredible set of interviews reveal the lasting impact of the Anthology and Harry Smith. Popular music professor Greil Marcus takes us through the intricacies of the Anthology: its history, context and influence on music in particular as well as society as a whole. This film is also, in a way, a monument to the man Harry Smith, whose unique view on life as not only a collector, but also as one of the most important experimental film makers of the last century, shines through.
After the box set’s re-release on CD in 1997, Hal Willner’s Harry Smith Project concerts, recorded in London, New York and Los Angeles, celebrated Smith’s idiosyncratic vision, from Nick Cave’s cathartic take on spirituals to Lou Reed’s mesmerizing evocation of Blind Lemon Jefferson. The film includes rare archival footage, performances and interviews with a wide range of musicians and singers such as Elvis Costello, Beck, Sonic Youth, Beth Orton, Philip Glass, David Johansen, David Thomas and many more. A musical roller-coaster ride.

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