Once you've heard the voice of Antony Hegarty, you're unlikely to forget it. Leading the group Antony and the Johnsons, he is a Mercury Prize-winning artist who has found a legion of fans and critical praise. His unique, otherworldly voice has placed Antony in a category all of his own, with works that also dip into the visual arts and compositional realm. Multifaceted and always fascinating, it's no surprise that someone has decided to turn the camera on him.
Director Charles Atlas ("The Legend Of Leigh Bowery," "William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible") is behind "Turning," which brings a unique angle to its subject. Using Antony's song and live performance as a backdrop, the documentary explores thirteen strong and individual women, whose sexual, gender or racial identities are expressed through Antony's music. And as you'll see in this exclusive clip, it's a true marrige of concert footage, direct documenatry filmmaking and even some interesting visual flourishes that pull it all together. Here's the synopsis:
TURNING captures Antony and the Johnsons in concert collaborating with the filmmaker Charles Atlas (THE LEGEND OF LEIGH BOWERY), celebrating 13 women taking the stage who, like Antony himself, are not easily categorized personas. Whether they are androgynous, transgender, covered in makeup or bare-skinned, what is important is their hard-won humanity, expressed with the transcendent power of Antony's music. The film takes the viewer into the world of Antony and the Johnsons as they tour their astonishing live concert/performance work, "Turning." At its center are a series of intimate interviews with the women who performed this extraordinary show with Antony. Their stories combine with Antony's mesmerizingly emotional songs to create a powerful journey of struggle and hope.
"Turning" opens for a week-long run at New York City's IFC Cinema starting tomorrow, November 16th. Watch below and warning slightly NSFW.
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