Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber have partnered to release Köln 75, the German music-drama film by Ido Fluk starring Mala Emde (And Tomorrow the Whole World), John Magaro (Past Lives; September 5), and Michael Chernus (Severance; Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy).
It tells the true story of Vera Brandes, a teenage concert promoter on the 1970s Cologne music scene, as she organizes a Keith Jarrett concert in Cologne, that eventually became the album The Köln Concert.
Köln 75 world premiered at Berlin International Film Festival, and is set to open in US cinemas on October 17 at IFC Center in New York, and on October 24 at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles. Other cities will follow.
Keith Jarrett’s legendary performance in January 1975 nearly didn’t happen. Based on a true story, Köln 75 follows how the concert was conceived and orchestrated by the efforts of a teenage up and coming concert promoter, Vera Brandes, (played by German actress Mala Emde). Her enthusiasm set her to multitasking – from organizing the concert venue (the Cologne Opera House), promoting the event, and selling the tickets, to convincing Jarrett to perform when he almost dropped out when the Bösendorfer Imperial Grand piano he was promised was nowhere to be found. John Magaro plays Jarrett with his own intensity, a sublime counterpoint to Mala Emde’s joyful portrayal of the enthusiastic and unstoppable Vera. Köln 75 captures the compelling, entertaining and, until now, unknown back story about Jarrett’s one-hour, entirely improvised concert, which became the best-selling solo album in jazz history.
Watch the official trailer for Köln 75.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.