Author Archives: Chris Estey

On the early evening of Thursday, June 2, 2011, the mists and songwriter spells of the Missouri Ozarks came to the Pacific Northwest for the 2011 chapter of the Seattle International Film Festival. The lifetime musicians who supplied the darkly emotional storytelling and entrancing soundtrack that wove through the dark blue hues of the masterfulRead more…

Directed by Michael Cuesta, Roadie is a superbly acted and sublimely written character study about a worker on the fringes of the rock and roll scene. This well-researched and seemingly lived-through fiction follows a roadie for Blue Oyster Cult going back home after a tour’s end, where the drama continues as he deals with issuesRead more…

Despite its widespread poverty, Kinshasa, the capitol city of the Congo, remains a major cultural and intellectual center and is home to Central Africa’s only symphony orchestra. In Kinshasa Symphony, directed by Claus Wischmann, several dozen extremely committed musicians, arrangers, and performers collaborate to plan a major open-air concert for thousands of fans. Festival Screenings:Read more…

A roiling, cantankerous, licentious, modern introduction to Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Juan follows a compulsive seducer who enlists a friend to help him capture his conquests on digital film, as the law, angry mates of lovers, and other adversaries move in to stop his habitual rampage of romance. Shot with lean special effects but still gorgeous,Read more…