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Music Festivals (8)
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A Drummer's DreamJohn Walker 2010 1 h 25 minA rare and unique assembly of some of the greatest drummers in the world. Explosive talent, passion, humour and irresistible personality come together in a magical setting as these diverse drummers and forty students create a profound and unforgettable experience. Featuring Dennis Chambers, Kenwood Dennard, Horacio 'El Negro' Hernandez, Giovanni Hidalgo, Mike Mangini, Raul Rekow and Nasyr Abdul Al-Khabyyr, the film engages us with a diversity of musical styles. These master drummers of rock, jazz, Latin fusion and soul have backed the likes of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Carlos Santana - and now each other. At the end of the film you will be tapping out the rhythms that live within us all, and the positive energy of these masters will pulse through you for days to come. -
Festival in Puerto RicoWolf Koenig & Roman Kroitor 1961 27 minThis short documentary features Canadian contralto Maureen Forrester as she sings at the Festival Casals, a musical event founded by the great Spanish cellist and conductor Pablo Casals and sponsored annually by the Puerto Rican government. Part concert film, part tourism film, Festival in Puerto Rico offers viewers candid glimpses of mid-20th century Puerto Rico intercut with performance footage of Forrester and her husband, violinist-conductor Eugene Kash.
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Listen to the PrairiesGudrun Parker 1945 21 minThis short documentary follows Manitoba's annual Musical Festival, profiling several of the young people whose talents made the festival a leading event in the Canada of the mid-20th century. Featuring boys' and girls' choirs, violin and piano solos, an excerpt from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, and songs by a soprano and a contralto, the film is an idyllic and melodic portrait the prairies of over half a century ago.
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Molly MovieClark Johnson 2023 6 min
Raised in the wings of the theatre, it is perhaps no surprise that Molly Johnson was destined to become one of Canada’s greatest voices. Directed by Molly’s brother—acclaimed actor and director Clark Johnson—Molly Movie is as much a tribute to Molly’s singer-songwriter career as it is a testament to the communities she supports and the philanthropic work that drives her.
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Our Last Days ... In MoscowMartin Duckworth 1987 55 minPianists Kuo-Yen of Taiwan and Pierre Jasmin of Québec met and fell in love while studying music in Vienna. The film is a "letter" from Pierre to Kuo-Yen, who has made the difficult decision to return to her native land. Jasmin is sending her the images, words, and music of their last days as a couple ... in Moscow. They had come there for Kuo-Yen to compete in the 8th Tchaikovsky Piano Competition; how she fared determined her future. While pivoting on the drama of an international music competition and the sorrow inherent in parting, the film is also full of laughter, light, and love.
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PassifloraFernand Bélanger & Dagmar Gueissaz-Teufel 1985 1 h 24 minMontreal, September 1984. Within a span of five days, Montreal’s Olympic Stadium hosts Pope John Paul II and Michael Jackson. A perfect opportunity to explore the impact of the media on the masses. With caustic irony, this film gives voice to people excluded by Church doctrine: the gay and lesbian community, and women who’ve had abortions or been abused. Beyond documentary, fiction or news report, Passiflora is above all a film that packs a punch, leaves a mark and makes an impression, happily blending analysis, animation, acting, humour and song.
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Upstairs With David AmramAlanis Obomsawin 2021 16 minBefore her storied career as one of Canada’s foremost documentary filmmakers, Alanis Obomsawin was an acclaimed singer and musician at the forefront of the Indigenous rights movement in North America. During this unprecedented time, she befriended fellow musician and activist David Amram, often described as the “Renaissance man of American music.” A legendary talent and multi-instrumentalist, David embodies the passion and love musicians have for their artform. In this remarkable conversation recorded in 2008 at Montreal’s celebrated Upstairs jazz bar, Alanis and David reflect on their shared history and a time when music was a powerful tool for social change.
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World DrumsNiv Fichman 1987 59 minA lively and candid record of a singular musical event that took place at Vancouver's Expo 86. Under the direction of percussionist John Wyre, a founding member of the Canadian group Nexus, one hundred and fifty musicians and twenty-three ensembles from around the world came together to play on one stage in a spectacular, toe-tapping performance. The film captures the spirited cooperation and good will that participants brought to this event and provides glimpses of Wyre rehearsing all the groups for the grand finale. It also features enticing segments of various performances, backstage antics and excitement on the night of the sold-out performance, and parts of the grand finale itself.
