Istanbul Film Festival, organised by Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, will open its doors to its audiences for the 37th time between 6-17 April 2018. During this year’s Musikişinas category movie and music lovers will be able to watch films which tell the unique and awe-inspiring stories of iconic names who have imprinted their names in bold letters in the music histories of various different places in the world.
Here are some of the films that will be screened during 37th Istanbul Film Festival’s Musikişinas:
Looking for Oum Khultum (Photo: Larry Barns)
Looking for Oum Khultum
Directed by the famous Iranian artist Shirin Neshat, Looking for Oum Khultum follows the life story of this unique Egyptian singer known as Ümmü Gülsüm in Turkey, who was a leading name in Arabic music, through the eyes of a woman who wants to shoot a movie about her. Coproduced by Germany and Austria, this film had its world premiere during Venice Film Festival, Venice Days and Toronto Film Festival. It follows of being a legend, a mythos, an icon, a woman and an artist in Middle East.
Looking for Oum Khultum’s director Shirin Neshat will be one of the guests of the festival was a member of the jury for the Human Rights in Movies competition.
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
Ryuichi Sakamoto, known as one of the most unique and prominent composers not only in Japan but worldwide, is known for the movie scores he composed for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, Gohatto, The Revenant and The Sheltering Sky as well as his Oscar win for the Best Original Score for his work for Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor. Directed by Stephen Nomura Schible, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda paints a detailed and sincere portrait of this artist and his career which spans over 50 years as a synth pop guru in the 1970-80s, more recently as an experimental electronica artist, through his activism and concerts.
Sophie Fiennes (Photo: Remko Schnorr)
Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami
A punk idol, an icon with her otherworldly beauty and androgynous physique, a diva on both music and fashion stages: Grace Jones. Sophie Fiennes, known for her unusual documentaries, follows Grace Jones for five years from Jamaica to Paris and makes her the star and the topic of this extraordinary film. Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami covers public moments like her magnificent concert recordings to more private ones like a family holiday she spends in Jamaica. The film’s premiere took place during Toronto Film Festival.
Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars
One of the most prominent names in the world of rock, Eric Clapton is a legendary guitar player who received 18 Grammy awards. The world premiere of Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars took place during Toronto Film Festival, and it features the public and private live of this extraordinary musician; from his The Yardsbirds and Cream days to his solo career. Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars is directed by the second female producer ever to receive an Oscar, Lili Fini Zanuck, who also produced Driving Miss Daisy (which received four Oscars), Mulholland Falls, Cocoon and True Crime. This film isn’t the first collaboration between Zanuck and Clapton; the musician composed the score for Rush (1991) which Lili Fini Zanuck directed.
The complete program of the films to be screened during Musikişinas will be announced in March during the press conference of the 37th Istanbul Film Festival.
