COMMON PEOPLE | Milford Graves Full Mantis (2018)
The cycle of documentary film screenings “Common People”, initiated by the Kaunas Artists' House (KMN) and the “Kitas Kinas” platform, moves to the virtual platform of “Kino Fondas”, where the film “Milford Graves Full Mantis” (dir. Jake Meginsky, Neil Young, 2018) will be shown from November 19 to 29.
“Milford Graves Full Mantis” is a portrait of the renowned percussionist and impressive artist Milford Graves, exploring his kaleidoscopic creativity and insatiable curiosity.
M. Graves has performed internationally since the 1960s as a soloist and with ensembles, alongside legends such as Albert Ayler, Giuseppi Logan, and Sonny Sharrock. He is widely regarded as a pioneer of avant-garde jazz and remains one of the most influential living figures in jazz evolution.
In this visually distinct film, M. Graves talks about his discoveries, struggles, and experiences, reflects on the essence of swing, activates electronic stethoscopes in his basement laboratory to process the sound of his own heartbeat, and travels to Japan, where he performs at a school for autistic children, inspiring a group of students to demonstrate spontaneous collective energy.
Alternating between present and past, and weaving intimate views of the artist's complex cosmology with captivating performances worldwide, “Milford Graves Full Mantis” is a cinema full of fluidity, polyrhythm, and intensity, embodying the essence of M. Graves' music itself.
Documentary, USA, 2018, 91 min., Dir. Jake Meginsky, Neil Young
In English with Lithuanian subtitles adapted for the deaf and hard of hearing.
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The ticket price on the "Kino Fondas" platform is 2.99 Euros. The link for the film screening will be announced soon.
The “Common People” screening series aims to discuss not only the content of documentary films, but also the whole notion of documentary cinema. The series adresses questions of ethics, directorial decisions. To film or not to film? When does a director cross the line of closeness with their subject? Should documentary cinema reflect ‘reality’ or the vision of its creator?
These questions and others are raised and discussed looking at films who maintain a close look at people telling their own stories: sensitive, creative, eccentric and based somewhere in the margins.
The project is curated by Karolis Žukas (Kitas Kinas) and Edvinas Grinkevičius (Kaunas Artists’ House).
Visual identity: Eglė Simonavičiūtė.
The project is financed by the Lithuanian Film Center, organised by Kaunas Artists’ House.
Partners: platform “Kitas Kinas”, Kirtimai Culture Center, Kaunas Deaf Rehabilitation Centre, Vilnius Queer Festival “Kreivės”.