Exploring the resurgence of folk music: A new documentary focuses on the Bob Dylan resurgence
Newport and the Great Folk Dream Premieres at Venice Film Festival
A new documentary titled "Newport and the Great Folk Dream" has made its debut at the prestigious Venice Film Festival. Directed by Tom Jennings, the film is pieced together from 90 hours of black-and-white archive footage shot by filmmaker Murray Lerner in the early 1960s at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island.
The documentary offers a captivating journey through the golden age of folk music, featuring performances from American folk legends such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Doc Watson. It also showcases other notable Black blues heroes like Skip James, Taj Mahal, Muddy Waters, and the electric Howlin' Wolf.
One of the most memorable moments in the documentary comes from a young John Lee Hooker singing "Boom Boom". The main plotline, however, revolves around Bob Dylan's fraught relationship with the folk music community, culminating in his 1965 performance where he plays an electric guitar, a decision that upset some folk music purists and resulted in booing from the audience at the end of his set.
"Newport and the Great Folk Dream" serves as a reminder to contemporary artists of their power and influence, as it includes political content such as protests against the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, and the death of President John F. Kennedy. The documentary aims to encourage people to use their voices to speak out against injustice, war, racism, and the erasure of history, according to Laura Jean Hocking, the film editor.
The documentary is expected to increase awareness of the Newport Folk Festival among teens, people in their 20s, and 30s. Its release coincides with the success of the recent biopic "A Complete Unknown" starring Timothee Chalamet, which is credited with helping bring Dylan to a new, younger audience.
"Newport and the Great Folk Dream" is one of several documentaries by international directors at the Venice Film Festival. Other notable entries include "Cover-Up," a documentary about American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus, and "Ghost Elephants," the latest film from German veteran Werner Herzog.
Only one documentary, Italy's "Sotto le Nuvole" (Under the Clouds), is in the running for the top Golden Lion prize. The Venice Film Festival is expected to conclude on Saturday.
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