Film Festival Within A Festival At WOMAD 09
Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:39 pm

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As each marathon day of spectacular music and heady food experiences at WOMAD 09 draw to a close, the sun dips down and the lights come up. For the second year running, WOMAD offers a Film Programme to the already activity-packed Festival atmosphere.

This year’s exciting schedule of films includes exclusive sneak previews and trailers from LOOP Film Selections, WOMAD guests Dengue Fever star in “an engagingly different rock ‘n’ roll docu” (Variety magazine) as they take their brand of Cambodian pop back to its homeland in the poignant ‘Sleepwalking Through The Mekong’ and a film on the beauty of music from the vicious slums of Brazil. WOMAD has also secured ‘What About Me?’, a new project from the ‘1 Giant Leap’ creators, featuring Tim Robbins, Stephen Fry and Billy Connolly, amongst many others.

All of the sessions are less than 60 minutes in duration (with the exception of ‘Sleepwalking Through the Mekong’) and will screen on the Pinetum Stage.

WOMAD 09 film programmer Richard King says of the selection “We’re so thrilled to be able to bring you the latest project from the guys who made the terrific ‘1 Giant Leap,’ which screened at last year’s WOMAD. We believe all of the films we’ve added to the schedule this year will have a resonance – with themes like caring for our planet, an alternative view of Islam and Dengue Fever’s touching journey to Cambodia. And there is also a strong musical thread throughout. The films are a vital new addition to enrich your WOMAD experience.”

FILM PROGRAMME

LOOP Film Selections - Assorted trailers & music videos, approx 45 mins

The Holiwater Project – a sneak preview of an upcoming feature film and album, looking at what will happen to the world’s water in an age of rapid climate change and depleted resources.

Rhian Sheehan: ‘Standing In Silence’ – a snippet from Sheehan’s fourth album release, including visual recordings from India, Japan and China.

SurfAid International – a trailer relating to the newly released ‘SurfAid – The Music’ charity album featuring Michael Franti, John Butler, Bob Marley, Thievery Corporation, Crowded House, Eddie Vedder and Liam Finn

B-Live OE: Brazil – a fusion of Kiwi and Brazilian culture, this project blends Barnaby Weir, Hollie Smith and Alda Rezende with Clube De Balanco, Bossacucanova, and many more. Plus – a sprinkling of Loop music videos.

Sufi Soul – The Mystical Music of Islam - dir: Simon Broughton, UK, 2005, 50mins. With a dogmatic and fundamentalist view of Muslims increasingly predominant in the Western media, there has never been a more important time to show an alternative view of Islam. Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam that preaches peace, tolerance and pluralism, while encouraging music as a way of deepening one’s relationship with God. Travelling to Syria, Turkey, Pakistan and Morocco, ‘Sufi Soul’ reveals the views and beliefs of devotees while examining the growing threat from fundamentalist Islam. It also showcases fantastic performances from some of the world’s greatest Sufi musicians.

Sleepwalking Through The Mekong - dir: John Pirozzi, USA, 2007, 67 mins. Dengue Fever (who perform live at this year’s WOMAD) travel to Cambodia to perform 60s and 70s Khmer pop classics in the country where it was created, made popular and very nearly destroyed during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. The odyssey is a homecoming for singer Chhom Nimol and a transformation for the rest of the Californian band as they perform with master musicians and record new songs along the way. ‘Sleepwalking Through The Mekong’ reveals the power of music to weave a common thread between extremely different cultures.

Dengue Fever play two shows at WOMAD 09 and will also take part in a discussion on their music and the film. See www.womad.co.nz for timetable details.

‘What About Me?’ (television adaptation), chapters 1 'Bombardment' and 3 'Men & Women’, dirs: Duncan Bridgeman & Jamie Catto, UK, 2008, 52 mins in total. This new project comes from the directors of the brilliant ‘1 Giant Leap,’ which screened at last year’s WOMAD. 'What About Me' addresses themes such as coping with a bombardment of the senses in the modern world, and how our life experiences have shaped us into the people we are, featuring Tim Robbins, Billy Connolly and Stephen Fry. This is a poignant, emotional and entertaining time capsule of humanity at its most inspirational. It also includes some great music!

‘Joysadnessjoy,’ dir: Beatriz Paiva, Brazil, 2009, 52 mins. Co-presented with Reel Brazil Film Festival: www.reelbrazil.co.nz The favelas, or slums, of Rio de Janeiro are some of the most dangerous places on earth. This film focuses on one of these favelas, Morro dos Macacos (Monkey’s Hill), perched in the Vila Isabel district. Vila Isabel is Rio’s most prolific musical neighborhood and its bars and streets are famed for their vibrancy and diversity. With its almost always utterly sad lyrics, combined with its joyous melodies and up-tempo beats, samba is the style that best embodies the Brazilian soul, and particularly that of the Carioca (citizens of Rio), who know better than anyone how to turn sadness into joy and face life's hardships with some swing and a smile.

See www.womad.co.nz for a full list of performing artists, activities and schedules.

WOMAD is an international festival created by Peter Gabriel 24 years ago. Since then 21 countries have hosted the festival and entertained millions of festival-goers.
Tickets

Tickets are available from Ticketek - www.ticketek.co.nz.

3 day pass - $209

3 day pass & camping - $259

3 day pass & Marae-style accommodation - $279

1 day tickets are also available.

Check out our feature for more details: WOMAD 2009

RE: Film Festival Within A Festival At WOMAD 09
Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 1:05 am

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