After an already incredible and diverse music program, this year’s Darebin Music Feast introduces you to its first venture into cinema with Feast Films. Partnered with Thornbury Picture House, Feast Films is screening feature and documentary films in Melbourne on the theme of gender and the music industry, following the extraordinary lives and careers of women trailblazing the music scene.
Here’s a look at the films to expect:
Her Sound, Her Story
This documentary film by director and producer Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore and producer Michelle Grace Hunder is an intimate conversation unveiling the personal experiences, histories and significant and social impacts of women in the Australian music industry. The film features more than 45 artists spanning six decades, and has dialogue powerful enough that it extends beyond the music industry to ask, “Where do we want women’s voices to sit in the world today?”
PATTI CAKE$
Starring Australia’s Danielle Macdonald, this feature film tells the story of an unlikely rapper who finds her voice as a one-of-a-kind hip-hop legend. The film, set in a gritty strip-mall suburbia, chronicles an underdog’s quest for fame and glory, never leaving out the humour, raw energy and unforgettable beats.
The Punk Singer
A 2013 documentary film exploring the life and career of musician and activist Kathleen Hanna, who is also the lead singer of punk band Bikini Kill and dance-punk trio Le Tigre. She rose to attention as the reluctant, but never shy voice of the riot grrrl movement, and became one of the most famously outspoken feminist icons – a cultural lightning rod for the feminist movement.
The Song Keepers
Born in the obscure churches of remote Central Australia, this documentary tells the story of the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir, made up of four generations of song women, where a hidden musical legacy of ancient Aboriginal languages, sacred poetry and baroque is being preserved. This choir of women, against all odds, and with the help of their charismatic conductor, embark on a historic tour of Germany to take back hymns that were given to their great grandparents by German missionaries, now sung in their own Aboriginal languages.
A Life in Waves
This documentary film explores the career of Suzanne Ciani, electronic music pioneer, all the way from her earliest experiments, through to her multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns, trendsetting record label and adventures in the 1970s New York electronic scene. Through this documentary emerges a portrait of a woman who carved her own path in a male-dominated world and believed in a unique artistic vision, but most importantly fought for the success she deserved.
20 Feet from Stardom
In this compelling documentary film from award-winning director Morgan Neville, millions of voices who most cannot put names to are revealed. The documentary shines a spotlight on the untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century, both a tribute to the unsung voices who brought shape and style to popular music, as well as a reflection on the conflicts, sacrifices and rewards of a career spent harmonising with others.
The Darebin Music Feast kicks off in Melbourne this Friday, October 18th. For the full lineup and event details, visit http://www.musicfeast.com.au
