Berlin Film Society & Berliner Union Film Present: Shut Up And Play The Piano

 

Berlin Film Society and Berliner Union Film are proud to present a special preview screening of Philipp Jedicke’s acclaimed documentary Shut Up And Play The Piano – the life of Grammy-winning composer, virtuoso pianist, and entertainer known as Chilly Gonzales.

Premiered earlier this year at the 68th Berlin Film Festival as part of the Panorama programme, the documentary follows Gonzales (née Jason Charles Beck) from his native Canada to late 90’s underground Berlin, and via Paris to the world’s great philharmonic halls. It dives deep into the dichotomy of Gonzales’ controversial stage persona, where self-doubt and megalomania are just two sides of the same coin.

Both provocateur and stylistic polymath, Gonzales intertwines electronica, alternative rock, underground rap, and piano solos – an eclectic and radical approach to musical composition which would eventually invite him to the ivory tower of classical music. The flamboyant artist frequently collaborates with the likes of Peaches, Feist, Daft Punk, and Jarvis Cocker – all of whom make spunky cameos that are well worth the price of admission.

The playfulness of Gonzales’ character is mirrored in the look of the film. Using Gonzales’ extensive video archive in a rather unorthodox manner, Shut Up And Play The Piano explores his persona by interweaving newly shot interviews and concert scenes with fictional materials of totally different time periods. Reality and fiction blur together as we embark on a trip through Chilly Gonzales’ world.

Shut Up And Play The Piano will be screened this Friday at 19:30, BUFA Campus, followed by a Skype Q&A with director Philipp Jedicke. Tickets are available online, and can be purchased at the door. 

 

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berlin film society, Documentary, philipp jedicke, shut up and play the piano
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Nathasha O. Kappler
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Berlin Film Society & Berliner Union Film Present: Shut Up And Play The Piano

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