28/05/2014 - Jimi - All Is by My Side by John Ridley will open the Bologna festival dedicated to biographical films. Over 100 films scheduled, many of which premieres

The 10^th edition of the Biografilm Festival will open to the sound of Jimi Hendrix from Jimi - All Is by My Side [+see also:
trailer
film profile], written and directed by John Ridley (Oscar for the adaptation of Twelve Years a Slave [+see also:
trailer
making of
interview: Michael Fassbender
film profile]), a story of an essential year in the life of the legendary American musician, from his encounter with Linda Keith, who made him into a mercenary to the historical exhibit in Monterey. So much more is scheduled, though: over 100 films, beyond the concerts, meetings and debates. Much has been put on offer by the international festival, which focuses on stories of lives and documentaries, this year running from 6-16 June, under the direction of Andrea Romeo.

This year’s theme is Che cos'è la cultura? (what is culture?) How do we create it and how do we express it? A number of different documentaries will be presented to try and answer this question featuring characters and themes revolving around culture as well as its main physical manifestations. These include National Gallery [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Frederick Wiseman, Alphabet by Erwin Wagenhofer and The Great Museum [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Johannes Holzhausen. Among the great premieres in programme, The Salt of the Earth [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Wenders and Salgado, the latest documentary by Michel Gondry, Is the Man Who is Tall Happy? [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (on Noam Chomsky), Borroughs: The Movie by Aaeon Brookner and L'orchestra. Claudio Abbado e i musicisti della Mozart by Helmut Failoni and Francesco Merini.

A total of ten premieres will be in programme in the International Competition: from Ai Weiwei - The Fake Case [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Danish Andreas Johnsen, on the famous Chinese dissident, to Libya rebelling from Gaddafi in First To Fall by Rachel Beth Anderson, The Legend of Shorty by Angus MacQueen, following Joaquín Guzmán, the leader of the biggest drug cartel in history (by the producer of Searching for Sugar Man [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), and Finnish My Stuff by Petri Luukkainen, in which the director documents his 365 days without objects.

Europe is the central character in the Biografilm Europa section, which from this year will be gathering together the best biopics to come out of the 28 countries of the European Union in the past 18 months. This year these include Frank [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Lenny Abrahamson, with Michael Fassbender (closing film), The French Minister [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Bertrand Tavernier, Walesa: Man of Hope [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Andrzej Wajda and Romanian I Am an Old Communist Hag [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Stere Gulea.

The Contemporary Lives section will return this year, dedicated to characters and themes, which have marked our contemporary lives (Femen - Ukraine is Not a Brothel and Ulay Performing Life, among others), and Biografilm Italia, with the best Italian biographical productions out there (among selected films is L'infedele by Loy Angelo about the first northern African mayor in Italy). Five names will be featured in the Celebration of Lives section: Michel Gondry, Danny Bramson, Donn Alan Pennebaker, Nicolas Philibert and Ulay.

(Translated from Italian)