"Omar And Cedric - If This Ever Gets Weird" A Film By Nicolas Jack Davies
Архив новостей | Русская версия
Filmed over a period of 20+ years by founding member of At The Drive In and The Mars Volta, Omar Rodríguez-López, and containing remarkable footage from 100s of hours of Omar’s self-shot material – this is a totally unique window into the incredible journey of one of this generations most progressive and prolific musical partnerships – Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler Zavala. A documentary that shows how truth can be far more remarkable than fiction. This documentary will be presented to the participating public for the first time at the Raindance Film Festival on October 28, 2023.
Distinctively avant-garde, a singular style that has always defined Omar and Cedric’s work, If This Ever Gets Weird is presented almost exclusively as home-video footage, with Omar, Cedric and others narrating only in voiceover. An optical blend of analog and digital formats, we see the arc of time visualized in an array of Super 8mm film, VHS, and digital video footage. Director Nick Davies weaves the life-spanning archive into a captivating non-linear tapestry, his unique storytelling approach separates this film from typical music documentaries, and is remarkably personal and playful, even mischievous at times. Part video diary, part experimental film, part abstract stream-of-consciousness, this visual device is expertly crafted to feel homemade and is incredibly effective, transporting us into the minds of its creators.
Through their point-of-view, we gain a profound understanding of who they are both as artists, and as human beings. The highest of highs, and the lowest of lows are shared with us in deeply sincere moments that can only be captured when solely friends are present. No subject off limits, and no moment too personal to bear witness, the audience is given an all-access pass into their professional and personal lives during the most pivotal points of their career, and everything in between. From early underground punk shows to sell out festivals, a garage studio to the Grammy stage, we follow each arc of the duos many musical projects, and the fortune and misfortune that came with them.
In between extraordinary never-before-seen live performances and studio outtakes, this extremely candid film thrives in presenting the complexities of Omar and Cedric’s friendship in moments most would consider too personal to film. It beautifully characterizes the duo as they navigate the unique challenges of their lives: success, fame, drug addiction, death, politics, their disposition as minorities in America, and a colossal battle with The Church of Scientology. A documentary as profound as it is playful, this bold and unflinching film rips the curtain away to expose a deeply personal coming-of-age journey filled with triumph and tragedy. An unexplainable bond that held these two mad-genius souls together, and forged a life-long union with the pledge that “if this ever gets weird”, they would quit, as no amount of success is worth the loss of this special and symbiotic friendship.
If This Ever Gets Weird comes from Cloud Hills Films, in association with PULSE Films. The film is directed by Nicolas Jack Davies and produced by Johan Scheerer for Cloud Hills. Sam Bridger and Alice Rhodes serve as executive producers for Pulse Films.
