The illustrious IN-EDIT International Music Documentary Festival is around the corner! Several locations across the Netherlands will have the pleasure to welcome screenings of some of the top music documentaries out there. Mark your calendars, check the programme, get your tickets, tell your friends and fam, and if you're a music documentary feen like us, you certainly won't miss the chance to get your proper docu fix.
IN-EDIT is an international music documentary festival launched in 2003 in Barcelona. Since then, editions have been organized worldwide with more than 100,000 visitors per year in multiple countries.
An environment that is brimming with love for film and music. The international music documentary festival wants to create an experience with "films from the backstage" that shows what happens behind the scenes and also bridges the gap between the music and film industry. IN-EDIT Netherlands is celebrating its 5th anniversary this time around, so you know it's going to be extra special! Get ready for some lovely screenings, Q&A's, industry meetings, expert talks, live music performances and parties.
This time again, we had the pleasure to get a few sneak peeks at a few of the films from the announced agenda, and we'd like to bring you the scoop and recommend some of our favorites this year that you too can come see for yourself in Melkweg Cinema:
Shady Lady:
Directed by Lisa Cortés
Saturday, April 22nd @ 17:30
"The living, shrieking, tutti-frutti disco ball known as Little Richard has been an icon amongst the rock and roll, gospel and queer community, so I was giddy to hear that director Lisa Cortes had delivered the goods with the I am Everything documentary. The self-proclaimed (and rightly so) King of Rock n’ Roll lived a double life, battling between his inner queerness and his church upbringing throughout his entire life, scholars in the film described it as “he existed in contradiction” and this sparkling yet tainted thread weaves throughout the documentary.
Like countless amounts of African American performers, he was not given the credit he deserved. His white superstar counterparts like Elvis, Bowie, McCartney and Jagger’s performance styles were heavily influenced by him and are openly discussed by some of the stars within the documentary.
I have to say, I shed some tears whilst watching this film, it showed how Little Richard was able to spread the word of queerness, love and even God to so many people but was in an infinite battle within himself. Even though the documentary sparkles a little too hard at times, I’m rating this Near Mint (check the Film Condition Board below) I loved it for its generosity in footage, scholarly deep dives into queerness and Richard’s psyche and of course to hear those exquisite iconic shrieks over and over again."
Shady Lady:
Directed by Sophie Fiennes
Sunday, April 23rd @ 17:00
"With footage that spans over 10 years, 3 countries and a myriad of characters that roam within Grace Jones’ mind, this film truly follows in the strutting footsteps of this divine muse. It is a dance between footage from the recording studio, Jamaica, concert halls in Paris and New York and hotel rooms. Sophie Fiennes plays with reflection literally and metaphorically throughout the film, from mirrors and champagne flutes to contemplations on childhood trauma and giddy love.
This documentary is real, it’s raw, it’s exactly how you expect Grace Jones to be: no time for bullshit and only time for the performance “sometimes you have to be a high-flying bitch”. Each piece of footage from her concert is a not-so-still life artwork, we see her perform Nipple to the Bottle, Williams Blood and Slave to the Rhythm just to name a handful. On stage Jones plays with instruments in an architectural manner, her costumes tap into divine sexuality, she not only sings but directly confronts the audience and cackles to often delight you within the surreal.
I’m rating this film as Mint (check the Film Condition Board below), as there is no sugar coating in this documentary, it shows all sides of Grace even stark-naked (that’s not my reason for the glowing review though). I find it a true revelation when a director can stray away from the bias and unveil the truth in all its stripped down glory. "
Lucas Benjamin:
Directed by Yuji Moriwaki
Sunday, April 16th @ 17:30
"An incredible film about the Minyo Crusaders, a modern band from Japan that plays an unusual combination of traditional Japanese folk music called minyo and South American cumbia, all with the mission to preserve their traditions and introduce its richness to a newer generation. Their passion is highly infectious and the musicians are extremely devoted to their craft. Reading the original lyrics was also a true revelation since they are songs most people don't really hear anywhere else these days. It's visually stunning, emotionally hitting deep, and one of the most interesting documentaries I've seen this year. Big tip!"
Lucas Benjamin:
Directed by Jessamyn Ansary & Joyce Mishaan
Tuesday, May 2nd @ 19:00
"Lee Fields has been a consistent name in soul and funk music, all the way from the late 60s up till today. His story is different from many of his contemporaries, and that lies in the way that his peak happened in the 2000s and not in the 70s. It all changed when the connection with Desco Records started in the late 90s, which evolved into Daptone Records and Soul Fire Records. Those labels are fighting to keep authentic analog soul music alive in the current digital era, and are doing a great job at it. They successfully revived, and elevated, the careers of artists like Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, and Lee Fields.
Back in February for the premiere of this film, I had the honor to do a Q&A with the wonderful man himself after the screening, which was followed by a concert in Paradiso. For the festival screening, both of the directors will be in town, and will do a Q&A as well! A unique opportunity, and just another reason to go see this heartfelt story of a pure, humble artist."
Kay Tee:
Directed by: Tim MacKenzie-Smith
Thursday, April 20th @ 20:45
"It's been almost a year ago since we screened this film in Amsterdam & it was a sold-out affair. Now, here's your second chance to see 'Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande' and I know I'm gonna go see it again myself, cause it's been one of my favorite music documentaries lately. The music of Cymande became very close to my heart thanks to samples in some of my favorite hip-hop tracks, but upon hearing the source, I was fully, and irreversibly drawn in. On top of that, the story of the band is fascinating, and I'm already looking forward to finally seeing them perform live this summer!
The beautifully made documentary shows the rise, fall, and resurrection of Cymande, a band that attempted to unite audiences across the world with their blend of rock, African rhythms, soul, funk, psychedelia, Caribbean calypso, and jazz. All the members of Cymande were second-generation immigrants, hit by the racist backlash of UK nationalists. The band had no choice but to share their album with the US, where it became a hit, but the group went their separate ways in 1974. However, in the late 1980s, DJs brought back the rare groove sound, and Cymande rose from the ashes of the unsung heroes into pivotal prominence across the globe. The film ends with a recent concert, where the crowd is a sea of predominantly white men, showing an interesting twist to the hardship beginnings of this seminal band. To read more, you're most welcome to revisit our Steppin' Into the Screen article by Shady Lady.
Kay Tee:
Directed by: I AM HERE: Max Paschke, Maik Schuster
Saturday, 22nd April @ 20:00
"I have to say I really enjoy the aesthetic of this short film, the way it's shot & edited, and while there's only so much information a 33min movie can include, it will definitely spark your interest to get educated on the topic. Briefly exploring the history, culture of the Bijlmer neighborhood, and the impact of gentrification on the current social and cultural landscape in the Southeast Amsterdam has been quite revelatory to me.
I knew that the Netherlands has a lot of intersections with New York, formerly known as New Amsterdam, but I had no idea about the similarities between Brooklyn and Bijlmer - also from an architectural and systemic point of view. 'Kids of the Bims' follows the new generation of young creatives who challenge the Dutch identity and bring positive creative energy to the neighborhood. The documentary also highlights the future of the Bijlmer in the midst of gentrification.
The film will be the closing screening of the IN-EDIT film festival, and you can stick around for a Q&A with co-directors Maik Schuster, Miguel Ferreira (Mr.Frank) and protagonist Angelo Bromet. All of that followed by a live performance of Amartey, afrobeat artist with Ghanaian roots, who's been raised in Southeast Amsterdam."
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