01 MAY — 11 MAY 2024

01 MAY — 11 MAY 2024

The link between cinema and music is at the epicentre of this competitive section. It delves not infrequently into the historical, political and social contexts that accompany the musical movements of the selected films.

IndieMusic

The link between cinema and music is at the epicentre of this competitive section. It delves not infrequently into the historical, political and social contexts that accompany the musical movements of the selected films.

25 Canções de Abril

Presented now in 4K digitalisation by Cinemateca Portuguesa, this film captured a show at the Coliseu do Porto in 1977. In the year of the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, we go back in time to feel the weight of the artists who gave their work a political tenor and supported the revolution — like Adriano Correia de Oliveira, José Carlos Ary dos Santos and Carlos Paredes. The film includes a reading of political manifestos from the revolutionary process to date.
Luís Gaspar
Portugal

1977, 57'

In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon

Perhaps not everyone can have a transcendent experience listening to Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” in the south of France, but it’s hard for anyone to hear the music composed by Paul Simon without having a memorable experience. Paul Simon went beyond Garfunkel (with whom he ended up having a thorny relationship) to have a long career and an intriguing life. In this epic film, we delve into what has made him one of the biggest names in American songwriting. 
Alex Gibney
United States

2023, 209'

June

Never again will we think of June Carter as just the wife character played by Reese Witherspoon in the Johnny Cash biopic with Joaquin Phoenix. There’s no doubt that Cash was an inescapable figure in American music. But June Carter — the composer of the phenomenon popularised by Cash, “Ring of Fire” — is the focus here. A documentary to discover a prolific and renowned country artist in her own voice. 
Kristen Vaurio
United States

2023, 98'

Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero

Lil Nas X (Montero Lamar Hill) rose to stardom with “Old Town Road”, a single mixing rap and country that topped the Billboard charts in the United States for 19 weeks. This was followed by his public honesty about his homosexuality, numerous awards and status as a figure in the LGBTQI+ community. In this documentary, he talks in the first person about his journey, success and current moment — chronicling his 2022 tour.
Carlos López Estrada, Zac Manuel
United States

2023, 95'

Louder Than You Think

Pavement, fronted by Stephen Malkmus, are one of the most influential indie bands to come out of the American underground in the 90s. But this bittersweet documentary focuses on the story of Gary Young, the hippie drummer at whose house the band started recording their initial songs. Young — an unpredictable force on stage, always running or doing a headstand — ended up leaving the band after the Slanted and Enchanted tour, but his legacy is still felt.
Jed I. Rosenberg
United States

2023, 90'

Mama Africa

Miriam Makeba, the voice of the (still) famous song “Pata Pata”, is a figure that’s not only historic for her music. She is also a name that has become intertwined with South African politics, having become a civil rights activist and a powerful voice against the end of apartheid. Seen here in all its guises, especially when travelling the world spreading a political message for an end to racism and poverty on the African continent.
Mika Kaurismäki
Finland / Germany / South Africa

2011, 92'

Mutiny In Heaven: The Birthday Party

Before the Bad Seeds, there was The Birthday Party, the seminal Australian band that marked the beginning of Nick Cave’s career. This is the first time that the members themselves have told the story in the first person, from the start to the collapse, and been candid about those formative years. Particularly remembered for their anarchic concerts where anything could happen, the film comprises archive footage and photographs, mixed with animation. 
Ian White
Australia

2023, 99'

Ricardo Martins: Resonate

Journey into Ricardo Martins’ creative continuum. The conception of the album ‘Distraimento’ as a visual moment of a perpetual cycle of transformation, where music evolves as a living organism.
Carlos Miranda
Portugal

2024, 22'

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

An ingenious exploration of the impact of American jazz figures of the time on a perhaps little-known historical episode of the Cold War, the coup d’état that involved the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, independence leader and first democratically elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. A portrait that weaves a tapestry that unites historical personalities (from Khrushchev to Eisenhower) with unavoidable names in music such as Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie or Miriam Makeba.
Johan Grimonprez
Belgium / France / Netherlands

2024, 150'

Sur La Stre Nuro – Uncharted Soundscapes

This film centers on the artistic and conceptual processes employed by various contemporary Portuguese sound artists. A narrative emerges from the multiple conversations that reveal numerous approaches to the experimentation processes.
Luis Fernandes
Portugal

2024, 85'

Them Fado Bicha

This is Justine Lemahieu’s encounter over several years with Lila and João, the two artists and activists from Fado Bicha band, whose songs embody and give voice to LGBTQIA+ stories and struggles. Backstage, words and glances intersect, questioning our relationship with appearances, gender norms, language, and sexuality.
Justine Lemahieu
Portugal

2024, 81'

This Excessive Ambition

C. Tangana is a global phenomenon. He’s also an artist who values his ability to write lyrics, who doesn’t feel totally part of hip hop culture, who likes Tolstoy and who thinks he can’t sing — but does it anyway. C. Tangana is a Spanish rapper that has conquered the world and now presents his vulnerability as an artist in a documentary about the production of a concert, in a struggle between artistic vision and logistical limitations.
Cris Trenas, Rogelio Gonzalez, Santos Bacana
Spain

2023, 118'

We are Fugazi from Washington, DC

Fugazi are a post-hardcore band from the United States, with a particular political and social conscience — and an influence that reverberated in the future of punk and alternative music. Always with a “do it yourself” ethic, they never wanted to leave the independent music industry for the big labels. This documentary is a testament to that ethos, comprising rare archive footage captured by fans at the band’s numerous gigs. 
Joseph Pattisall, Joe Gross, Jeff Krulik
United States

2023, 96'

Yours truly, Fear

In a world where we’re more apart from each other than ever, we meet a band that pulls the rug out and teaches us empathy. 5ª Punkada embark on a European tour and give us the chance to know them intimately while opening a window into the world of artists with disabilities.
Telmo Soares
Portugal

2024, 23'

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