2018
SHUT UP AND PLAY THE PIANO
(CHILLY GONZALES)
Canada, France, Germany
82 min. cinema documentary
author/director: Philipp Jedicke
music: Chilly Gonzales
director of photography: Marcel Kolvenbach, Marcus Winterbauer
produktion: Rapid Eye Movies
producer: Antoinette Köster, Stephan Holl
A portrait of Grammy-winning pianist and performer Chilly Gonzales, blending archive, concert, and fictional footage. Premiered at Berlinale. Kolvenbach served as Director of Photography for the documentary segments.
“Chilly Gonzales is a Grammy-winning composer, virtuoso pianist and entertainer. Criss-crossing between rap, electro and solo piano music, he became the outrageous pop performer who invited himself to the ivory tower of classical music. The eccentric artist inspires and collaborates with the likes of Feist, Jarvis Cocker, Peaches, Daft Punk and Drake. Change seems to be the only constant in Gonzales' journey. Every time his audience thinks it has finally figured him out, he makes a radical move and breaks with its expectations. The cinematic documentary Shut Up And Play The Piano follows Gonzales 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' stage persona, where self-doubt and megalomania are just two sides of the same coin. The playfulness of his 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.” (imdb) Kolvenbach joined director Jedicke at a very early stage of development and took over the position of Director of Photography for the documentary parts. Marcus Winterbauer took over and focused on the scenic camera. The film premiered at Berlinale.
RAPID EYE MOVIES LINK