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here’s something spot-on about a good film about music. When done right, the marriage of the two forms leads to an end result where the music has enriched the film, and the film has provided an expansion of the music. Films about music have had protagonists ranging from composers to critics; they encompass fiction, nonfiction, and metafiction. Here, for your consideration, are ten upcoming films, from fiction to documentary, from abstract compositions to starkly linear narratives, covering music ranging from punk rock to large-scale choral works. Strange Powers
A documentary focusing on the literate pop music made by Stephin Merritt and The Magnetic Fields, with testimonials delivered by the likes of Neil Gaiman, Daniel Handler, and Peter Gabriel. Viewers looking to revisit the controversy over Merritt’s stated fondness for the song “Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah” can also do so here.
The Runaways
A drama about the LA punk band The Runaways, written and directed by Floria Sigismondi and starring Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, and Michael Shannon.
The Taqwacores
An adaptation of Michael Muhammed Knight’s cult novel of the same name, focusing on the residents of a Muslim punk house in upstate New York. The novel’s coming-of-age narrative should be a natural fit for adaptation. This is the second film to arise from the novel: a documentary about bands inspired by the book has also been made, and a SXSW panel will bring together the filmmakers behind both.
Punk in Africa
A documentary covering punk rock in South Africa, from integrated bands in the early 1970s to the current state of the scene; in doing so, larger questions of national identity are explored.
Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee
Director Shane Meadows’s 2006 film This Is England boasted a soundtrack that delved deeply into anthemic punk and beguiling reggae. Meadows deployed that soundtrack nimbly, marking him as on of the few directors with a genuine understanding of how to utilize pop music in the larger context of their film. Shot in five days, Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee heads into mockumentary territory, following an aging roadie (Paddy Considine) taking to the road with an MC.
