We are excited and honored to partner with the Secret Movie Club to present a special screening of Dziga Vertov’s montage/documentary/experimental masterpiece Man With A Movie Camera with live original score by Austin, Texas indie chamber group Montopolis.
One of the most influential documentaries ever made, the film recently placed 8th on the 2022 Sight and Sound Greatest films of all time poll. The live score by Montopolis has been called “stunning and transcendent” by the Austin Chronicle.
“Revered as a visual masterpiece and one of the greatest documentary films ever made, Man with a Movie Camera (1929) gives historical context to the current Russian invasion and lays bare the costs of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The joyful original score by Montopolis celebrates the beauty and resilience of Ukraine’s people and aims to inspire American audiences to support the country in its time of need.
“Sherburn counts a day job in Okkervil River, but has made a name for himself with his chamber outfit Montopolis’ stunning, hour-long score to the famous 1929 Russian silent. The capacity audience at Alamo Drafthouse last weekend gave the local sextet a well-deserved standing ovation at the conclusion of the film and its accompanying live performance. This is rich Austin culture with an already storied legacy made even more so by this latest entry. Your summer blockbuster has arrived.” – Raoul Hernandez, The Austin Chronicle
A national tour of arthouse cinemas this spring will partner music group Montopolis with relief organization The Bird of Light Ukraine to raise awareness of the refugee crisis in Ukraine.
Montopolis will perform a live score to Man with a Movie Camera, a 1929 silent film depicting life in the cities of Odessa and Kyiv, Ukraine. One of the most influential documentaries ever made, the film recently placed 8th on the 2022 Sight and Sound Greatest films of all time poll. The live score by Montopolis has been called “stunning and transcendent” by the Austin Chronicle.
Montopolis is an indie chamber music group from Austin, Texas that performs the works of composer Justin Sherburn. Their music folds country and folk idioms into modern classical arrangements with inventive instrumentation to create “stunning and transcendent” (Austin Chronicle) concerts.Their programs are audience-engaging, multi-media events that combine live music with video and interactive story telling. Their most recent albums, Music for Enchanted Rock and The Legend of Big Bend, are themed around Texan ecological points of interest. Montopolis will continue to be inspired by and draw attention to the natural wonders of our state, country and planet. The Montopolis musicians include members of the Austin Symphony, Okkervil River, Tosca String Quartet, and the Polyphonic Spree.
