ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE, directed by Jonathan Demme will open theatrically at Lincoln Plaza and a downtown theater in New York on October 18, and at the Royal and other Los Angeles area Laemmle theaters on October 25.  A national release will follow.

Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme (Silence Of The Lambs, Philadelphia, Stop Making Sense), turns his camera on Enzo Avitabile, a renowned Neapolitan saxophonist and singer/songwriter. This project is the fruit of the two artists’ reciprocal esteem for one another. It is also the result of many years spent following the musical artistry of Enzo Avitabile, a well-known figure on the world music scene recognized for his passion for research and experimentation.  

With this documentary, one of the world’s great directors tells us not just about the music of a singular artist in its fusion of Neapolitan world music (and especially Arab music, with performances by Naseer Shamma and Palestinian singer Amal Murkus) and jazz, but also of a city, Naples, with all of its treasures and contradictions.  The film follows Enzo, as he creates amazing new music with collaborators from all over the world, including Eliades Ochoa of Buena Vista Social Club, Naseer Shamma, Daby Touré and Trilok Gurtu. 

Music has always played a decisive role in Demme’s films, which is evident in all his works for the big screen. Over the years, this passion has been expressed in various video clips, and above all, documentaries (The Pretenders, New Order, Talking Heads, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young), which received high critical acclaim by the public, and film and music critics alike.