This year’s music documentary festival began with a trio of top quality films about top quality artists opening with the story of a band rebelling against apartheid-era South Africa.
This Is National Wake (dir. Mirissa Neff)
As much a film about South African apartheid as the band whose very existence stuck two fingers up to the horrific regime, this film tells the story of a little known multi-racial punk band through archive Super-8 footage and recorded interviews with surviving members and associates. First-time director Mirissa Neff has created an informative, emotional biopic of a multi-racial band that formed in 1979 to make music together and to challenge the oppression the black majority were forced to live under.
They went from playing any venue that would put them on to being signed by WEA and releasing an album that was swiftly banned by the government. Tensions within the band and a lack of finances limited their success outside of their home country but they did get radio play from John Peel in the UK, and the director informed the Q&A that tracking down a bootleg recording of the show took some major detective work.
Sadly there was no happy ending for founding members Gary Khoza, a child prodigy, nor his brother Punka, dying from suicide and HIV/AIDS respectively, but there’s a touching scene where surviving white band member Ivan Kadey leaves his Los Angeles home to visit family and friends in Johannesburg with copies of the reissued LP. An ambitious and impressive first feature. (SC)
Dukes At Komedia, Sunday 30th October 2022
Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande (dir. Tim MacKenzie-Smith)
You’ll probably know their songs by the records they’ve been sampled on; you may know the band’s name but not how to pronounce it. This insightful film tells the story of one of Britain’s greatest funk bands from their formation in South London, via kickstarting hip hop as one of the most sampled bands, through to their split and reunion 40 years later.
With only one low-res piece of film known to exist from their heyday, the film is peppered with snippets of original songs and film of the band rehearsing in recent times. We see them departing to the US – to escape the racist British society and apathetic music industry – where they found great success opening for artists such as Al Green and Jerry Butler and playing to thousands of receptive fans. Upon returning to Britain the problems they tried to escape from lead to their break up, with some remaining as musicians and two studying law.
There is a long roll call of DJs and musicians testifying about the importance of the band and the live footage of their reunion gigs show how much they are loved by fans old and new. A lot of love went into the making of this film and it’s reciprocated by the warmth and generosity of the band members themselves. Their mystical, almost mythical music continues to influence new generations and thankfully there is a new album and gigs planned for next year. (SC)
ENERGY: A Documentary About Damo Suzuki (dir. Michelle Heighway)
Moonage Daydream, the big bucks Bowie documentary that came out last month, was a treat for the senses; a kaleidoscopic, bombastic exploration of an artist and performer writ large. Energy tells a similar story, but it was made for buttons and yet still manages to pack the same emotional punch.
Damo Suzuki can rightly claim to be one of the most influential musicians of the modern era. His vocal work with German improv pioneers Can, many would say, created a whole new genre of music whose effect can still be heard today. Suzuki and the band parted company after three acclaimed albums and then he walked the wilderness of the outsider artist for many years before embarking on his ‘Neverending Tour’. Also known as the ‘Damo Suzuki Network’, he travels the globe forming scratch bands of young musicians from whichever city he alights, putting on devised and unrehearsed shows to rapt audiences (including the Hope & Ruin not so long ago).
But Suzuki has not been well, fighting a cancer that almost took his life. The film explores how illness and age conspire to constrain the creative drive as we watch Suzuki do battle with his disease. It also considers how spirit, humour, love, a total dedication to artistic expression and more than a little faith can win the day. Crowdfunded and directed with great care by film-maker Michelle Heighway, Energy is a touching, affirming, low-key watch that guides you to the same place that the much louder Moonage Daydream does and, perhaps, they make good companion pieces. One is the story of a global superstar, the other of an outsider artist. Both are about the need to create and the triumph of the artistic spirit. (JW)
Day 3 and 4 reviews will follow shortly and the festival closes on Friday 4th with Trip: A Journey Into The World Of Psychedelic Sight & Sound which is followed by a free after party at The Rose Hill pub.
Words by Steve Clements and Jason Warner
