Dedicated to thinking about the most emerging and referential movements in music on a global scale, the Transmission programme proposes, for 2021, ten documentaries that take the pulse of how the arts are a space for debate and the melting of social boundaries. The national premiere of Laurent Garnier: Off The Record, Don't Go Gentle - a film about IDLES, Freakscene - The Story of Dinosaur Jr. and All The Streets are Silent, a film about the correlations between hip hop and skater culture in New York in the 90s. A special word for the rediscovery of two female stories: the revisit to the work of the American singer-songwriter Karen Dalton and the path of ascension and overcoming of Marin Alsop, one of the most important conductors of our time. A Symphony of Noise, about the work of the multifaceted Matthew Herbert and Nueve Sevillas, a poignant and trans-generational portrait about the Sevillian flamenco community with the participation of, among others, Rosalía and Nino de Elche, will be screened for the first time in the Oporto venues. The latter will be shown on the last day of the exhibition that the director, Pedro G. Romero, has on show at the Municipal Gallery: “Novos Babilónios - Atravessar a Fronteira”, whose focus is on nomadic ways of life, particularly Roma, flamenco and libertarian exiles.
On a Portuguese side, first screenings at Passos Manuel for Caudal, a film about the first concert of Porto's Solar Corona post-confinement, and What is Ácida?, a short film about the creation process of this one of the most interesting nights in town.
Around forty years after one of the biggest revolutions in the dance music scene, Laurent Garnier: Off The Record takes us on a first-person journey into the history of one of its most respected DJs and producers. Taking us through some of the most remarkable moments in the history of techno, rave and house, between Chicago, Detroit, Paris or Manchester, the film integrates images, testimonies and memories of some of the most emblematic figures and iconic houses of a movement that marked the way we look at dance floors today. Two years after IDLES' last explosive performance in Portugal, the Bristol band, who is considered by some to be at the forefront of a new punk rock movement emerging in the UK, make their big-screen debut with a film tour about the way the collective led by Joe Talbot has been breaking stereotypes, opening space for a serious conversation about mental health and the realities that torment a generation. Directed by Jeremy Elkin, All the Streets Are Silent is a snapshot of New York City in the 90s, capturing the most relevant moments of the transformative moment when skater culture and hip hop intersected. Using as a starting point archive footage of influential characters of that time, like Justin Pierce and Harold Hunter (we recall here the role of both in Larry Clark's cult film, Kids), and interviews with artists and promoters who were emerging at that time (Fab 5 Freddy or Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC, among others), Elkin creates an intimate portrait of how an entire generation transformed race relations in the Big Apple. Still on American soil, the tribute to one of the most recognised names of the east coast of the United States: Freakscene - The Story of Dinosaur Jr. is more than a tribute to one of the bands that preceded the genesis of grunge, it is an emotional, funny and noisy rollercoaster about the creative and personal relationship between J. Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph, from the foundation to the present day. The documentary features statements from Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth); Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine); Henry Rollins (Black Flag / Rollins Band) and Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü / Sugar), among others.
Folk and blues singer Karen Dalton was one of the most prominent figures of the 60s in New York. Idolised by Bob Dylan and Nick Cave, Karen dismissed all possibilities of a career in the limelight, leading a very unconventional life until her untimely death. Using Dalton's voice and compositions as the common thread (since almost all of her video recordings have been lost or destroyed), Karen Dalton: In My Own Time draws on melodies, interviews with friends and lovers and previously unreleased material to craft a poetic film about a singular woman and her unforgettable music. An impressive life story is also the one Bernadette Wegenstein eternalises in The Conductor, a film that transports the audience into the heart of classical music and into the soul of the one who is, today, one of its greatest names: conductor Marin Alsop. A film that is also a testimony of the fight against the established and of the way Alsop assumed herself in a universe marked by patriarchy and the lack of opportunities for women.
National premier at movie theaters, Moby Doc is a film that follows, in the first person, the path of the man considered the most successful electronic musician in the world. A surreal journey (with the participation of David Lynch and David Bowie), where the author reflects on his turbulent personal life and the various points (highs and lows) of his life as a creator.
TRANSMISSION SELECTION
"A Symphony of Noise", by Enrique Sánchez Lansch (2021)
"All The Streets Are Silent", by Jeremy Elkin (2021)
"Caudal", by Luís Sobreiro (2021)
"Don’t Go Gentle - A film about IDLES", by Mark Archer (2020)
"Freakscene – The Story Of Dinosaur Jr.", by Philipp Reichenheim (2020)
"Karen Dalton: In My Own Time", by Richard Peete, Robert Yapkowtiz (2020)
"Laurent Garnier: Off The Record", by Gabin Rivoire (2021)
“Moby Doc”, by Robert G. Bralver (2021)
"Nueve Sevillas", by Gonzalo García Pelayo, Pedro G. Romero (2020)
"The Conductor", by Bernadette Wegenstein (2021)
"What Is Ácida?", by Afonso Mota, João Silvestre (2020)