Magnetic Fields, White Stripes, release documentaries
If you’re a rock documentary freak like me then you’ll be eagerly anticipating watching two new documentaries revolving around two intriguing artists.
First off, a new documentary on The Magnetic Fields‘ Stephin Merritt is about to be released. Directed by Kerthy Fix and Gail O’Hara, the film (which is still untitled) was shot over a period of ten years and tried to chronicle not just Merritt’s career but also his personal life. Merritt’s notoriously aloof and evasive in his interviews so this documentary is hopefully going to be a great insight into Merritt.
The film will be screened in San Francisco. It is included in the San Francisco Film Society’s SF360 Film+Club screening series. The film will make its official premier this spring in a festival that hasn’t been named yet.
The release of the film is also timed with the release of the new Magnetic Fields record, Realism, which will be released on January 26.
Another hotly anticipated rock documentary is The White Stripes’ Under Great White Northern Lights. The documentary will officially premiere at SXSW in Austin, Texas, March 12 to 20.
The film will be based on The White Stripes’ 2007 tour of practically every nook and cranny of Canada. I’ve seen the trailer for this, and though it does look quite electric, claims that this is the most important rock documentary since Gimme Shelter should be taken with a grain of salt.
