Sound
Bryce David Dessner is an American composer and guitarist best known for The Revenant (2015), The Two Popes (2019), Cyrano (2021) and C’mon C’mon (2021). He’s also a member of the indie rock band The National with his twin brother Aaron Dessner.
The National's indie rock has taken over the Cork Opera House. On stage, some of the most iconic songs, highlighting the tracks by Sleep Well Beast, Grammy winner for Best Alternative Music Album in 2017.
On March 4, 2023, The National performed an intimate show for 500 people at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY. There they debuted much of their new album First Two Pages of Frankenstein.
Journey into the creative process of Brooklyn indie rock band the National with this unique documentary. Filmmaker Vincent Moon's cameras follow the band as they make their fourth album, "Boxer," and work to diversify their sound. More than just a technical examination of the recording process, the film uncovers the mental and emotional challenges, collaborative highs and lows, and quest for fresh ideas that drive this -- or indeed any -- band.
31/05/2024, Primavera Sound Barcelona
An 80-minute film that features footage from the band’s 2017 show at Basilica Hudson in New York. The unique concert placed the band in the center of the venue, surrounded by fans, while they performed the entirety of their then-latest record, ‘Sleep Well Beast’.
Twenty-five years after their debut, The National continues to improve year after year, whether on record or on stage. While they are among the most important indie bands of this century, they have perhaps never been more popular than they are today. Their recent collaborations with Taylor Swift, who cites them as her favorite group, or with Phoebe Bridgers have allowed them to reach new audiences. Last year was one of the most important for the Cincinnati group, which released two LPs in quick succession and was voted group of the year by Forbes newspaper. Their immaculate discography now includes ten albums and as many reinventions of their signature sound, imbued with sometimes raw, sometimes sophisticated arrangements, and the sensual baritone voice of Matt Berninger. The National will perform for the third time in Montreux, after a concert at Miles Davis Hall in 2008 and at the Montreux Jazz Café in 2012.
Mistaken for Strangers follows The National on its biggest tour to date. Newbie roadie Tom (lead singer Matt Berninger’s younger brother) is a heavy metal and horror movie enthusiast, and can't help but put his own spin on the experience. Inevitably, Tom’s moonlighting as an irreverent documentarian creates some drama for the band on the road. The film is a hilarious and touching look at two very different brothers, and an entertaining story of artistic aspiration.
Recorded on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House on February 8th, 2014 with the assistance of Sydney Opera House Trust
Concert at El Castell Embruixat, 03/05/2006
Icelandic artist and musician Ragnar Kjartansson’s often intensely durational performance-based works manifest a rare synthesis of pathos and humor. A Lot of Sorrow is both a music video and an extended concert film, in which Brooklyn-based band the National performs its three-and-a-half minute ballad “Sorrow” on repeat for six hours. The band’s music and lyrics frequently conjure notions of romantic suffering and melancholy—themes common to Kjartansson’s emotive, theatrical work. As the hours pass and fatigue sets in, the musicians subtly alter their song; the original track is always recognizable but is also shown to be elastic and expressive rather than rigid. Kjartansson is sometimes visible in the role of roadie, offering water and food to the performers throughout the concert. Multiple camera angles grant the viewer access to both the perspective of the musicians and that of the audience, as the band and the crowd feed off each other’s energy with every repetition.
A renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker living in Los Angeles, after being named the recipient of a prestigious international award, is compelled to return to his native country, unaware that this simple trip will push him to an existential limit.
Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.
It follows a singer-songwriter in a downward spiral as she takes a last effort gig at a motorcycle rally in South Dakota where she meets Casey, a guitarist who walked away from his dream long ago.
A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de Bergerac dazzles whether with ferocious wordplay at a verbal joust or with brilliant swordplay in a duel. But, convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of the love of a devoted friend, the luminous Roxanne, Cyrano has yet to declare his feelings for her—and Roxanne has fallen in love, at first sight, with Christian.
Composer Steven Lauddem is plagued by a creative block which leaves him unable to finish the score for his big comeback opera. When his former therapist-turned-wife Patricia suggests he rekindle his creativity by getting lost in the city, Steven sets out in search of inspiration. His epiphany comes after he meets a spirited woman named Katrina and discovers his life has much more potential than he bargained for, or ever could have imagined.
Allison's life falls apart following her involvement in a fatal accident. The unlikely relationship she forms with her would-be father-in-law helps her live a life worth living.
Describing herself as a 'street queen,' Johnson was a legendary fixture in New York City’s gay ghetto and a tireless voice for LGBT pride since the days of Stonewall, who along with fellow trans icon Sylvia Rivera, founded Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.), a trans activist group based in the heart of NYC’s Greenwich Village. Her death in 1992 was declared a suicide by the NYPD, but friends never accepted that version of events. Structured as a whodunit, with activist Victoria Cruz cast as detective and audience surrogate, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson celebrates the lasting political legacy of Johnson, while seeking to finally solve the mystery of her unexplained death.
Johnny and his young nephew forge a tenuous but transformational relationship when they embark on a cross-country trip to see life away from Los Angeles.