Fri, Sept 22 / 8:30 pm
Directed by Zev Asher
2000, Canada, 79 min
What About Me is an energetic celebration of Canada’s legendary experimental noise-music group The Nihilist Spasm Band. What About Me traces the development of the group, from its origins in 1965 as a response to ultra-conservative London Ontario, to the tragic death of one of its founding members, artist Greg Curnoe, to their tour of Japan (where they enjoy a rabid cult following and where their performances include a bizarre appearance on a Japanese variety show). The film was made for less than $20,000 and edited entirely on a Macintosh G3. It blends digitized 16mm and Super 8 film of recent and archival footage with mini-DV, Beta, and even VHS formats to give the film a unique, rich texture that reflects the band’s multi-layered, improvisational style. Featuring interviews with Nihilist mega-fan Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and acclaimed Canadian artist Michael Snow.
Presented in partnership with send + receive: a festival of sound. The Nihilist Spasm Band will be special guests at the 19th edition of send + receive this October 12 – 15.
