INTO THE NORTHERN LIGHT

 

 

Feature documentary

 

In the blazing light of the North, four jazz superstars from completely different backgrounds and generations embark on an epic journey where old and new will inevitably collide.

 

On a journey through the Nordic region, an odd foursome of world renowned jazz musicians, including main protagonists 37-year old Danish guitarist Jakob Bro and 87-year old American saxophone legend Lee Konitz, take the music onto roads less travelled.

 

They leave their home turf of dim jazz clubs behind, and enter unfamiliar territory in Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, before arriving at a sold out concert in Copenhagen's majestic Koncerthuset concert hall. And they play unfamiliar music as well:

 

The nordicness of Jakob Bro's aetheric compositions doesn't fit well with the jazz standards Lee Konitz has been playing ever since he got his first saxophone more than 75 years ago. Anxious about his legacy, and with everything to lose, Konitz must constantly draw on his lifetime of experience to keep up with his much younger band leader. And Jakob Bro is on a very difficult task of getting the most out of his aging star while at the same time keeping his musical integrity intact.

 

In an epic and poetic film about the frailty of time and the complexity of arts, legendary Danish film director Jørgen Leth sees his own past embodied in Jakob Bro's ambitious project, and his future projected in the tireless efforts of Lee Konitz, as the aging icon embarks on one of his last major musical tours.

 

Director: Jørgen Leth

Produced by Emile Peronard in co-production with Ánorâk Film, and in association with Danish Documentary.

 

Expected 2017