Rewind & Play

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Rewind & Play (subtitled It's Not Nice) is a 2022 French-German [1] documentary film essay by Alain Gomis.

Contents

Summary

Featuring outtakes from a 1969 interview for French television [2] with Thelonious Monk at the end of his European tour given questions by French pianist Henri Renaud (in the film, it also revealed some of the racial discontent between interviewer and interviewee). [3] The subtitle is named after one of the questions Renaud gave to Monk was deemed "derogatory" by Bernard Lion. It also featured performances by Monk on solo piano on the night of the interview. [4]

Production

Gomis received the footage from the National Audiovisual Institute while researching for a fictional film about Monk. [5]

See also

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References

  1. "REWIND & PLAY. Trailer. Directed by Alain Gomis. France, Germany, 2022. Documentary. 66 m." MUBI. Retrieved 1 December 2023. Synopsis. In December 1969, legendary pianist and composer Thelonious Monk ended his European tour in Paris. Before the show, Monk appeared on French TV to perform and speak with French jazz pianist Henri Renaud. Newly discovered footage reveals the disconnect between Monk and his interviewer.
  2. Brody, Richard (March 10, 2023). "The Front Row. Behind the Scenes with Thelonious Monk in "Rewind & Play". Alain Gomis's film is a treasure trove of Monk in performance and a revealing look at common documentary practices". The New Yorker. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  3. "Currents. Rewind & Play. Alain Gomis". filmlinc.org. New York Film Festival 60. September 20 - October 16, 2022 Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  4. "Film. Rewind and Play". bam.org. BAM. Archived from the original on 2023-11-06. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  5. Kennedy, Lisa (March 9, 2023). "'Rewind & Play' Review: Thelonious Monk Dazzles Even When an Interview Falls Flat". The New York Times. The documentary "Rewind & Play" makes damning use of a 1969 interview Thelonious Monk did with Henri Renaud for the French television program "Jazz Portrait." Monk's European tour was set to end in Paris and the show was recorded shortly before.