17 e OCCASION – MUSIC WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT

Largely dominated by American and British productions (which will of course be represented in this 17th edition of our festival), music documentaries make sense when they shift their cursor towards lesser-known cultures, and when they get off the beaten track. And this year, we can tell you that you’re going to have to hold on tight around the bends and forget borders and ruts. It’s the specifics of a country, a region of the world, a particular city, that make the Rock This Town program so exciting. For example: a TV talent show in Afghanistan under Taliban rule doesn’t have the same meaning as a French TV show (AND STILL I SING). Hip-hop in Senegal is freeing itself from American models thanks to a new generation of artists (FENEEN), while the traditional songs of the North Circular tell the story of Irish struggles in the heart of Dublin’s suburbs, country music can, against all odds, resonate in the tiny African kingdom of Eswatini (DUSTY AND STONES), Black Metal can meet the songs of black American slaves (PLAY WITH THE DEVIL), and a music school can be born in the heart of an underprivileged district of Mauritius (MO’ZAR MON STYLE). As you can imagine, there will be plenty of stops and forks in the road for this 17th edition: Brazil, Mali, Ireland, Germany, England, USA, South Africa, Senegal, Ukraine, Switzerland, Australia, Cuba, not forgetting France, of course.

The films speak about both the artists (Joan Baez, Little Richard, Peter Doherty, Nick Cave & The Birthday Party, National Wake, the Zombies, Sanseverino, Gogol Bordello, Fatboy Slim…) and the musical genres (electro, jazz, rock’n’roll, punk, bossa nova, hip hop, country, chanson française, rock, metal, pop, folk, traditional music) that will rock the screens during 9 days of music on screen!

But above all, they resonate with current events, presenting music as a means of struggle, emancipation, rebellion or, in some cases, a lifeline.

Join us in these trips of sound, and let’s get together around shared passions. We promise you a shot of absolute bliss on the big screen, on stage, next to the speakers, or at the bar! Because Rock This Town is a collective affair, led by partners from the very beginning, and we can’t thank them enough. It’s also a showcase that invites young filmmakers to present their films in public. Supported by the MFFN (Musical Film Festival Network) and the Collectif des Festivals de Cinéma et d’Audiovisuel de Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Rock This Town only works if spectators attend. It’s up to you!