MOFFOM 2008

The section on New York City, which follows previous focuses on Russia, South Africa and Brazil, offers films mainly documenting the creative work, cultural environment, instruments and atmosphere of New York City. The inspiring cult movie „Style Wars“ traces the development of graffiti and the fast-growing hip-hop subculture in New York in the early 80’s. „From Mambo to Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale” tells the story about the creative life in southern Bronx, recording the rise of hip-hop and reflecting the power of music. In 1958, dozens of American jazz legends unexpectedly gathered for a photograph that eventually became the symbol of the golden age of jazz. „A Great Day in Harlem” captures this extraordinary event in the history of jazz. The documentary „Note By Note: The Making of Steinway L1037“ maps the manufacturing process of the Steinway L1037 piano. Last but not least, this section includes Mel Brooks’ 1968 legendary comedy „The Producers“ featuring Zero Mostel.

In addition to the documentaries, the festival will introduce a new section, Planet MOFFOM, presenting an overview of mostly non-narrative films that observe the ways in which music forms the basis of our existence. One of these is the legendary „Baraka“ and the similar „Laya Project“, a compilation of contributions by musicians originating from areas devastated by the 2004 Tsunami. The film pays both a personal and collective musical homage to the endurance of the human soul, dedicated to those who survived. The movie „What About Me?” is another visionary project by 1 Giant Leap, a.k.a Jamie Catto, the former singer of Faithless and producer Duncan Bridgeman. Through music, Catto and Bridgeman explore the complexity of the human essence on a global scale. Theirs is an account of how we are all interconnected through our creativity and faith. „Heima: a film by Sigur Ros“ records a series of concerts of the Icelandic band Sigur Rós in their home country. This section also includes the black-and-white film „Middle of the Moment“, which is accompanied by the beautiful music of composer Fred Firth, presented at last year’s MOFFOM Festival.

12 documentaries have been entered for the festival contest and they will be evaluated by both audience and professional jury, made up of: Petr Dorůžka (music critic, one of the 7 Samurajs of the Womex World Music Festival), Saša Michailidis (director of Radio1 and presenter of his own program called “Film at 5 o’clock”), Alexander Hacke from Berlin (musician and member of the band Einstürzende Neubauten), Kevin Fitzgerald (DJ Organic) (film producer, founder of Hip-hop Film Festival and an educational center focusing on hip-hop), and Taina Ronkainen from Finland (creative director of „Oulu Music Video Festival”).

Peter “Pete” Seeger is a key figure of the mid-20th century. He stands behind the revival of American folk music. In the 1940s, Seeger became fixed star on national radio and as a member of the band The Weavers, he released a number of hit singles in the early 50s. Nonetheless, he became a victim of the un-American activities committee´s “black list”, which greatly limited his career as a prominent musician. In the 60s, he reemerged as a pioneer of protest songs. Seeger popularized the song “We Shall Overcome”, which became the anthem of the American Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. As a composer, he became famous for his song „Where Have All the Flowers Gone?“. Many music greats have performed his songs, including Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, and Marlene Dietrich. Bruce Springsteen even founded a band called “The Seeger Sessions Band” in honor of the musician. A complex documentary film about his life will be screened, revealing never before seen archival footage and personal testimonies. „Pete Seeger:The Power of Song“ maps Pete Seeger’s tireless service and faith in the possibility of transforming the world through the power of music and song.

Marta Kubišová is an acclaimed Czech singer, despite being banned from performing for many years due to ideological reasons. In 1989, however, everything changed, and Marta Kubišová performed the song “Prayer for Marta” on a crowded Wenceslas Square. This song came to symbolize the national resistance of 1968. She is still performing, you can see her at Theater Ungelt in various plays, recitals, talk-shows and occasionally at concerts. With her songs, she inspires new hope and faith. In honor of Marta Kubišová, the Czech film „Mučedníci lásky“ (1966) will be shown. The film´s director and Kubišová‘s husband, Jan Němec, cast many famous personalities alongside his wife, including Karel Gott. The film is made up of loosely connected poetical scenes, seasoned with kind humor and detachment.