Morrison, Amy, and Joplin. The films of the Club 27- Phenomena section, part 2
Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse, and Janis Joplin were part of the mythical "Club 27". This year, we have decided to make this phenomenon of pop-culture and its influence on international cinema the leading topic of the Tofifest Phenomena section. Thus, it is not coincidental to see Jimmy Hendrix on the official poster for the 13th edition of the Tofifest IFF. He is also a member of the mythical "Club 27". Today, we will bring you closer to the first three films featured in this section.
The term "Club 27" was coined in 1994, following the premature and tragic death of Nirvana's front man, Kurt Cobain. However, one has to go back to the 1960s and 1970s to find the roots of that conspiracy theory. The list of artists, who died at 27, includes such big and popular names of the time, as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison from The Doors, Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones, Alan Wilson from Canned Heat, or Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, founder of the Grateful Dead. The excellent painter Jean-Michel Basquiat and actor Jonathan Brandis were another two artists to die being only 27. Some claim that Heath Ledger and Amy Winehouse should also be included in the Club, thus hinting at the possibility that the Club is still there, instead of being just a one-time phenomenon.
"Club 27" has become a source of inspiration for great many filmmakers. Here are the first three films to be shown in the Phenomena section:
Amy, directed by Asif Kapadia, 2015
Trailer
"It is a cry for help and unconditional love," comments Asif Kapadia on lyrics written by Amy Winehouse, one of the most talented soul singers in recent years, whose career was broken by her premature death. The director, who became famous thanks to Senna, a film about the tragic death of Ayrton Senna, a Formula One driver, has created another intimate portrait of a great personality. The quantity of archive footage featured in Amy is breath-taking. Kapadia has managed to dig all the way down to the most touching and controversial moments in the life of this singer, bringing to the big screen the true reasons behind the fall of the icon: starting from complicated relations with men, through the destructive influence of mass media, and finally the burden of popularity she could not bear.
Janis: Little Girl Blue reż. Amy Berg
This unique film by Amy Berg lets us meet Janis Joplin, a cult figure in the world of music, whose brilliant career lasted mere… three years. The singer met her tragic death in 1970, thus joining the mythical “Club 27”. The young director will make us experience a new and previously unknown face of the legend, by revealing unpublished letters, recordings, and conversations. Cat Power, among others, has lent her voice for the narrative parts. The film has been screened at this year’s edition of TIFF. The screening at Tofifest will be its second Polish presentation.
The Doors, directed by Oliver Stone, 1993
Trailer
The film by Oliver Stone about the life of Jim Morrison is considered to be one of the best films about rock music, in the history of cinema. The biography of the founding member of the American group The Doors – an icon of the hippie movement - is something more, than just a story about the career of a young artist associated with the era of Flower Power. It is also an attempt to demythologize that legendary artist from California, by studying his sensitive and auto-destructive personality and looking at his tragic and painful fall. John Travolta and Ian Astbury, among others, were considered as candidates for the role of Jim Morrison. It was finally given to Val Kilmer, who himself performed the songs by Jim Morrison featured in the film. Another important figure in the film, Pam Courson, is portrayed by Meg Ryan.
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