Saturday, February 22nd
7:00 PM
goethe Institut
$12 IN ADVANCE HERE OR AT THE DOOR
BRothers hypnotic
USA and Netherlands/ 2013 / 86mins
Directed by Reuben Atlas
Filmmaker attending
We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.’
–Martin Luther King, Jr.
For the eight young men in the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, ‘brotherhood’ is literal: they’re all sons of anti-establishment Chicago jazz musician, Phil Cohran. They grew up in the same house, in a family of 24 siblings, on a strict diet of jazz, funk, and Black Consciousness. Family band practice began at 6 AM. Now grown, as they raise eight brass bells to the sky– whether playing in the streets of New York City, collaborating with Mos Def or Prince, or wowing Atlantic records– they find the values their father bred into them constantly tested. They must decide whether their fathers’ principles really are their own.
“After spending several years chronicling the rise of fiery eight-member brother band the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, first-time filmmaker Reuben Atlas manages to capture most of the elements that make the group such a sui generis force. Lively, funny and at times philosophical, “Brothers Hypnotic” tackles the challenges of maintaining an independent music career, as well as some knotted generational conflicts, and handles it all with great sensitivity.” – Andrew Barker, Variety, 2013
