Another exciting month kicks off on Rialto Channel this week, particularly for Francophiles and music lovers (of all types!).
Another exciting month kicks off on Rialto Channel this week, particularly for Francophiles and music lovers (of all types!).
I just can’t let this week go by without mentioning the most entertaining documentary I’ve seen recently, the critically acclaimed documentary Lemmy (Thursday 2nd February, 8.30pm). Lemmy follows Lemmy Kilmister, the 65-year-old lead singer of the thrash metal band Motorhead, for three years, capturing him on tour and at home in his unbelievably cramped L.A apartment. It also features plenty of interviews from A-list artists all declaring their love and respect for the man.
Now, before you roll your eyes in horror at the thought of listening to a combination of metal and punk music for over an hour, let me say there isn’t a lot of music featured, and that Lemmy is such a great character that this documentary goes way beyond appealing to just metal fans.
He’s your typical “bad-ass” rock ‘n’ roller who is very open about his lifestyle choices - drugs, alcohol, women (obviously) - and likes to collect Nazi war memorabilia (which the directors fail to really question him about). But he also turns out to love the Beatles, be a World War I and II historian, and likes nothing more in than just sitting at the bar with a Jack in hand playing the pokies.
He is, quite simply, classic, and Lemmy will have you laughing and shaking your head in disbelief and, against your better judgment, you’ll find yourself becoming fond of this polite and thoughtful old rocker.
Our ‘Music Masters’ series runs every Thursday evening at 8.30pm throughout February and also includes the story of controversial rapper Lil’ Wayne in The Carter (Thursday 9th February), the inspirational story of the 1970’s world class funk band, the Kashmere High Scholl School Stage Band in Thunder Soul (Thursday 16th February), and a revealing look at the life and work of Glenn Gould in Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould (Thursday 23rd February).
Also launching in February is the French Film Season which runs every Tuesday in February at 8.30pm, and features a range of films from the delightfully whimsical Gainsbourg to the gripping war epic The Army of Crime, which was described by one critic as “The real Inglorious Bastards”.
And it wouldn’t be a French festival without the prolific, and in this case long haired, Gerard Depardieu making an appearance, which he does in the 2010 Cesar nominated comedy Mammuth. Finishing off this eclectic season is Lourdes, a subtle, beautifully shot and very well acted drama about a disabled young woman’s pilgrimage to the famous city of healing.
To celebrate this season Rialto subscribers can go in the draw to win a trip of a lifetime to Paris! All you have to do is watch and win. Read all about it HERE.
A final note for today, the Sundance Film Festival wrapped up on 29th January and below are the winners of its various competition categories. Last year the New Zealand International Film Festival managed to secure many of the winning films from 2011’s festival. No doubt they’ll do the same again this year, so make a mental note of these winners as you’re sure to be hearing more about them soon.
The 2012 Sundance Film Festival Winners:
Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic - Beasts of the Southern Wild
Grand Jury Prize: Documentary - The House I Live In
World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic - Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos)
World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary - The Law in These Parts
Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic - The Surrogate
Audience Award: U.S. Documentary - The Invisible War
World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic - Valley of Saints
World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary - Searching for Sugar Man
Best of NEXT Audience Award - Sleepwalk with Me
U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic - Middle Of Nowhere
U.S. Directing Award: Documentary - The Queen of Versailles
World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic - Teddy Bear
World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary - 5 Broken Cameras
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award - Safety Not Guaranteed
World Cinema Screenwriting Award - Young & Wild
U.S. Documentary Editing Award - Detropia
World Cinema Documentary Editing Award - Indie Game: The Movie
Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary - Chasing Ice
Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic - Beasts of the Southern Wild
World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic - My Brother the Devil
World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary - Putin's Kiss
U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for an Agent of Change - Love Free or Die
U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance - Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing - Smashed and Nobody Walks
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting - The Surrogat"
World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision - Can
World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prize for its Celebration of the Artistic Spirit - Searching for Sugar Man
Short Film Audience Award - The Debutante Hunters