Grant Gee’s Everybody Digs Bill Evans is set to world-premiere in competition at the upcoming Berlinale (12-22 February – see the news), marking a high-profile return to the German gathering for Irish cinema.

The film is penned by Mark O'Halloran and adapted from Owen Martell’s book Intermission. Set in New York in June 1961, the movie revisits a defining and tragic moment in jazz history, when legendary pianist Bill Evans formed what would become his most celebrated trio and recorded two seminal albums in a single night. At the emotional core of the story is Evans’ close artistic and personal bond with his bassist, Scott LaFaro, whose sudden death in a car accident just ten days later plunged the musician into profound grief and silence.

The cast is led by Anders Danielsen Lie (who plays Evans) and Bill Pullman, alongside Irish actors Barry Ward and Katie McGrath, with Laurie Metcalf also starring.

Gee is a director, photographer and cinematographer whose work sits at the crossroads of music, art and documentary. He is best known for Meeting People Is Easy (1998), his Grammy-nominated tour documentary on Radiohead. He later helmed the acclaimed Joy Division (2007), praised for its emotional depth, and Patience (After Sebald) (2011), which screened at New York and Vancouver. Throughout his career, Gee has also collaborated with major artists, including David Bowie and Orhan Pamuk. His film Innocence of Memories [+lire aussi :
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interview : Grant Gee
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Everybody Digs Bill Evans is being produced by Alan Maher for Cowtown Pictures (Ireland), together with Janine Marmot for Hot Property Films (UK). Additional backing comes from Screen Ireland, UK Global Screen Fund, Over The Fence Films, Finite Films, Shoni Productions and OnSight.

International sales are being handled by Mister Smith Entertainment, with CAA co-repping US rights, whilst Break Out Pictures has secured UK-Ireland distribution.

Irish productions have enjoyed strong visibility and acclaim at the Berlinale in recent years, with titles such as Christy [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Brendan Canty
fiche film], Small Things Like These [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film] and The Quiet Girl [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Colm Bairéad
fiche film] resonating with critics and audiences alike.