A film documentary by Fabio Badolato and Jonny Costantino |
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| format: |
digital-super8-archive
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| running time: |
76 min. |
| language: |
Italian |
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Jazz Confusion is a trip not just for experts inside the world
of jazz. The set is the village of Roccella Jonica, the occasion
being the 25th anniversary of the Rumori Mediterranei jazz festival.
Both elements remain faded within the evolution of the work, leaving
only visions and reverbs of Calabria. A desert crossed by the
highway 106, full of tension and controversy waiting to be expressed
and contemplated.
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The journey begins with the recognition
of the evolution of jazz in the 20th century. Focusing on the relation
and dialog with cinema, some of the most luminous examples of this
creative conjunction are explored. Directors, jazz musicians, experts
and music composers express their point of view while the journey
shifts into reflection on the creation of music and, more particular
composition for cinema. The last word goes to a couple of filmmakers
with one of the most powerful and extreme cinematographic imaginary
ever produced in the contemporary cinema. With them comes to end
an electrocardiogram not only of the seventh art, but of the entire
art on the light of what has been defined the ending of western
culture, contemplating the tragic role of today’s artist and
his authenticity. |
The original music are specially composed by Paolo Damiani,
cello player of international stature.
The principal protagonists are Daniele Ciprì
and Franco Maresco (filmmakers of masterpieces
like “Lo zio di Brooklin”, “Totò
che visse due volte”, “Il ritorno di Cagliostro”),
Nicola Piovani (composer and Oscar winner for
the music of the film “Life is beautiful”
and collaborator with directors such as Fellini, Monicelli, Taviani
brothers, Moretti…), Enrico Rava (trumpet
player who has performed amongst some of the greatest, from Miles
Davis to Chet Baker), Virgil Mihaiu (jazzologist
and expert in musical contamination), Salvatore Bonafede
(piano player and music composer for the films of directors Ciprì
and Maresco: “Il ritorno di Cagliostro” and
“Come inguaiammo il cinema italiano”).
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THE DOCUMENTARY'S STRUCTURE IS DIVIDED
IN THREE PARTS |
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| 1. Between jazz and cinema (Tra jazz e cinema) |
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The word of Enrico Rava underlines
a series of archive films, image and backstage video, following
the history of jazz and some of his implicit contradictions. From
rivalry between musicians to the sense of auto destruction of many
artists who faded their talent into drugs. Rava measures the most
significant encounters of jazz and cinema in works like Louis Malle
and Miles Davis in “Ascenseur pour l'échafaud”. |
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| 2. Composing for cinema
(Comporre per il cinema)
Which is the substantial difference between music
tout court and music with a functional meaning? This point is conducted
by two contrasting artists and with amphibious characteristics like
Nicola Piovani and Salvatore Bonafede. Both explore their respective
experience as composers for cinema, the first evaluating the lessons
of some of the masters which he worked with like Fellini and Monicelli,
the second focusing on the characteristics of his collaboration
with Ciprì e Maresco. |
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3. Demons at midday (Demoni
a mezzogiorno) |
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Lyricism considered as creation of authentic
forms of expression, the collapse of the history as mundane experience,
the massacre of cinema committed by the productive market and by
television, the migration of art from its original mission, tragedy
and anachronism of today’s artist… Those are some of
the themes crossed by Ciprì e Maresco. Scenes of the most
significant from their cinema accompany their words together with
some unseen footage of their show: “Inventario Siculopalermitanesco”.
In the show, specifically created for Roccella Jazz 2005, artists
fuse cinema, music and theatre in an extraordinary dance of sounds
and images. The film is projected on screen and accompanied by the
trumpet of Rava and the piano of Bonafede toghether with the voice
of dramatist Franco Scaldati. |
