Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Andreï Filipov and the Bee Gees: among great voices and dramatic stories, innovators and experimenters, Vite in Musica returns to the Palladium Theater from 5 November to 10 December, an immersion in the extraordinary lives of these artists, told through cinematic narrations by Kasi Lemmons, Taylor Hackford, Radu Mihăileanu and Frank Marshall.
The four screenings, with free admission, will be preceded by presentations held by film and music critics: each of them will introduce the film from their particular disciplinary point of view and thanks to their artistic sensitivity.
In dialogue between cinema and music, the Vite in Musica meetings thus become an opportunity to discover the background of the lives of iconic artists in the history of music, investigating the link between the seven notes and the seventh art, according to the original idea of Luca Aversano and Enrico Carocci who started the project. The “lives in music” range from classical to rock to soul and give particular emphasis to the relationships between direction and composition, between genre and musical profile, without forgetting the events that have linked great directors to great composers and musicians and exalting the personal experiences of the protagonists intertwined with historical ones.
The first appointment is Tuesday 5 November with Whitney – A voice that has become legend (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, 2022) by Kasi Lemmons, with an introduction by Luca Aversano and Enrico Carocci. Discovered by record producer Clive Davis, Whitney Houston’s fame took hold around the 1980s, before becoming one of the greatest singers of her generation. With over 200 million records sold worldwide, she has reached historic heights: she was the first artist to place 7 consecutive first place singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album The Bodyguard (1992), containing the famous “I Will Always Love You,” is the best-selling soundtrack of all time; the Guinness Book of Records has recognized her as the most awarded female artist of all time with a total of approximately 657 awards (including 8 Grammy Awards, 2 Emmy Awards, 31 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards).
This is followed on Wednesday 13 November by the screening of Ray (Id., 2004) by Taylor Hackford, whose introduction is entrusted to Giacomo Ravesi and Giovanni Vacca. Ray Charles, “father” of soul music, transformed the difficulties of his life into an extraordinary career: born poor and blind from childhood, he fought against marginalization and addiction, becoming one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and inspiring generations of artists. An active supporter of civil rights, Ray Charles refused to perform in front of segregated audiences and sided with the African-American community.
Thursday 5 December will be the turn of Il concerto (Le concert, 2009) by Radu Mihăileanu, introduced by Elena Oliva and Elio Ugenti. Former conductor of the famous Bol’šoj Theater in Moscow, Andreï Filipov was deposed by Brezhnev’s policy for having refused to expel Jewish musicians from his orchestra, opposing the regime’s anti-Semitic policies. Years later, working as a cleaner, he accidentally intercepts an invitation to a concert in Paris and decides to gather his old Jewish colleagues, now reduced to living by their wits, to perform one last time. The powerful story celebrates the passion for music and the courage to rebel against oppression, offering an important message of redemption and unity.
The Vite in Musica series ends on Tuesday 10 December with the screening of The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (2020) by Frank Marshall, presented by Mattia Cinquegrani and Jacopo Pellegrini. The first documentary authorized by Barry Gibb and the families of Robin and Maurice Gibb, the film retraces the journey of the trio who marked the history of pop and disco music with the aim of discovering why their songs are still so loved after more than half a century . With hits like Stayin’ Alive, How Deep Is Your Love and Night Fever, they defined the era of disco music in the 70s and are still modern and much loved: thanks to their very particular harmonic style, the mix of pop, rock and and R&B and themes like love and resilience, the Bee Gees are still relevant and relevant today.
“Vite in Musica” is created with the contribution of the MiC / Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual from an idea by Luca Aversano, Enrico Carocci, in collaboration with Matteo Santandrea.
