For better or worse, depending on what type of movie goer you are, the onslaught of big, blockbuster film experiences have already arrived, setting sail for a pretty jam packed couple of months leading straight into a summer of superhero mayhem, remakes and reboots. This month alone there’s what’s supposed to be Hugh Jackman’s swan song for Wolverine in “Logan,” the Disney remake of “Beauty and the Beast” which looks likely to be on its way to obliterating box offices, “Power Rangers” and “Ghost in the Shell” adaptations, and of course, the monster hit itself “Kong: Skull Island.”
Needless to say, if you’re looking for some independent fare, you’re going to have to look beyond the trailers dominating your television screens. For a film decidedly separated from that vein, there’s “Contemporary Color” which opened this past Wednesday, March 1st at the IFC Center in NYC, with national expansion to follow.
Having received awards for Best Documentary Cinematography and Best Documentary Editing at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, the documentary is a feast for the eyes. A bombastic and intimate performance documentary from Bill and Turner Ross, “Contemporary Color” aided by a collaboration with David Byrne is a must see for fans of the genre.
Take a peek at an exclusive clip from the film and read the synopsis below.
In the summer of 2015, legendary musician David Byrne staged an event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to celebrate the creativity of color guard: synchronized dance routines involving flags, rifles, and sabers, colloquially known as “the sport of the arts.” Byrne recruited performers Lucius, Nico Muhly & Ira Glass, Nelly Furtado, St. Vincent, Devonté Hynes, How To Dress Well, Zola Jesus, Money Mark + Ad-Rock, and tUnE-yArDs to join him in creating original compositions to accompany ten color guard teams’ performances. The result is CONTEMPORARY COLOR, a bold and irrepressible snapshot of a one-of-a-kind live experience.
