In 2013, the American Independents offer one European and one German premiere as well as two directorial debuts. Six films have made it into the section, which has been a regular since the first exground filmfest. Music plays an important role in all three documentary films. In DEATH METAL ANGOLA actor Jeremy Xido shows, how young musicians created a means of expressing their ordeal in the horrible civil war, their outcry is through music, really loud death metal. The second directorial debut also deals with the political impact of music, this time in classical. In the European premiere of FOLLOWING THE NINTH writer Kerry Candaele leads us to places, where Beethoven’s "Ode to Joy" gave suffering people new hope. Jeffrey Schwarz’ biopic, I AM DIVINE, retraces the life story of the pop-star and drag icon. Matt Porterfield’s feature film I USED TO BE DARKER is also set in musicians’ ambience, the US folk scene. The wonderful film about letting go tells the story of a couple of musicians breaking up. In BIG SUR Michael Polish takes us on a breathless journey to the world of Jack Kerouac, who escaping his demons returns to the Californian coast. M Blash could enlist Hollywood stars Jena Malone (THE MESSENGER, INTO THE WILD, COLD MOUNTAIN, DONNIE DARKO) and Chloë Sevigny (KIDS, BOYS DON’T CRY, AMERICAN PSYCHO, DOGVILLE, LOVELACE) for his film well worth seeing THE WAIT. In the German premiere you’ll see them as two sisters keeping their deceased mother at home hoping, she’ll return back to life.
exground filmfest thanks the consulate general of the United States in Frankfurt/Main for supporting the section.
Film overview:
BIG SUR
by Michael Polish
USA 2013 81 min. original version
DEATH METAL ANGOLA
by Jeremy Xido
USA/Angola 2012 83 min. Portuguese original version with English subtitles
FOLLOWING THE NINTH
by Kerry Candaele
USA/Germany 2012 78 min. English original version
I AM DIVINE
by Jeffrey Schwarz
USA 2013 90 min. original version
I USED TO BE DARKER
by Matt Porterfield
USA 2013 90 min. original version with German subtitles
THE WAIT
by M Blash
USA 2013 96 min. original version
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