08/06/2015 - The British director, who has been behind a raft of documentary and fiction films, will present a selection of works that inspired his new opus, The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson

Director Julien Temple

Julien Temple, the British director who "invented" the music video as an art form and has been behind myriad documentary and fiction films, will be the guest director at the 33rd edition of the Torino Film Festival. The writer-director of London, the Modern Babylon [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Oil City Confidential, the movies about the Sex Pistols and Joe Strummer, Absolute Beginners, and The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle will travel to Turin to present a selection of films that inspired his new work: The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

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Through the words of the protagonist and a montage of images plucked from films, concerts and newsreels, the movie depicts the human and psychological experiences of Wilko Johnson, the frontman of the British rock band Dr Feelgood: following a terminal diagnosis in January 2013, which gave him just ten months to live, Johnson decided not to undergo any medical treatments that would have made him feel exhausted, but rather resolved to live his life as best he could (including a “farewell tour” and an album that shot to the top of the charts). And then he discovered it was possible for him to have an operation: and today, Wilko Johnson is back on tour once again.

Julien Temple is thus filling Paolo Virzì’s shoes in the role of guest director at the Torino Film Festival, a new figure introduced last year by the new director of the gathering, Emanuela Martini. The 33rd edition of the TFF will be held from 21-28 November 2015.

(Translated from Italian)