Word about what Andrew Dominik is working on has been vague and ever-shifting over the last few years, including news of creative differences that bungled productions and much more. Well, today, some surprising news about the director has come to light: Dominik has been working on a doc-narrative hybrid film with Nick Cave, called One More Time with Feeling. The film, which details the making of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' upcoming album, Skeleton Tree, will be released directly prior to the release of that album on September 6th. Dominik's latest also covers Cave's grieving and working through of the recent, tragic death of his son.
This is great news not only for fans of Dominik, who has yet to properly follow-up his excellent The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, but also for fans of Cave on film. Cave scored and made a cameo in The Assassination of Jesse James and also scored John Hillcoat's brilliant The Proposition, but his crowning achievement was in his last doc-narrative hybrid, 20, 000 Days on Earth, which covered the recording of the Bad Seeds' wonderful last record, Push the Sky Away. The man is a natural on the big screen, and though I'm certain this will be a far more traumatic affair than 20, 000 Days on Earth, this just skyrocketed to the top of my most anticipated films of the year list.
Here's how the press release from Picturehouse described the film:
The first opportunity anyone will have to hear any of the songs from the new Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds album, Skeleton Tree, will be to watch the feature film One More Time With Feeling, directed byAndrew Dominik (Chopper, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Killing Them Softly). The film will be distributed to more than 650 cinemas around the world by Picturehouse Entertainment on 8th September 2016, immediately prior to the release of Skeleton Tree the following day.
Originally a performance based concept, One More Time With Feeling evolved into something much more significant as Dominik delved into the tragic backdrop of the writing and recording of the album. Interwoven throughout the Bad Seeds’ filmed performance of the new album are interviews and footage shot by Dominik, accompanied by Cave’s intermittent narration and improvised rumination.
Filmed in black-and-white and colour, in both 3D and 2D, the result is stark, fragile and raw, and a true testament to an artist trying to find his way through the darkness.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' sixteenth studio album, Skeleton Tree, will be released globally on vinyl, CD and across all digital platforms on 9th September 2016. This follows the Bad Seeds’ most critically and commercially successful release of recent times, Push the Sky Away (2013).
Skeleton Tree began its journey in late 2014 at Retreat Studios, Brighton, with further sessions at La Frette Studios, France in autumn 2015. The album was mixed at AIR Studios, London in early 2016.
