Musical Movies: Silverdocs Screenings Steals Hearts

I always anticipate the sonic screenings at Silverdocs, running June 20 to 26 at the AFI Silver Theatre. This time around, two of the smaller films captured my heart.

“The Swell Season,” directed by Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis, tracks the rise of Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer Marketa Irglova as musical partners and their demise as romantic ones. Their tale is like a sad ballad: easy to understand, universal in its appeal.

The story behind Marie Losier’s “The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye” isn’t so tidy: Musician Genesis P-Orridge (of bands Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV) and his wife, Lady Jaye, underwent surgical transformations to become as physically alike as possible. Their romance runs deeper than most: Do you love your partner so much that, like P-Orridge says, “There’s this moment where you just want to consume each other, and not be individuals anymore”?

Capturing uncommon passion and rendering it relatable is what makes a great documentary — and great art.

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“Godstar” by Psychic TV (1984)

“Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (2007)

Photo courtesy Marie Losier