Director Andrei Zvyagintsev's "Elena" won this year’s narrative feature jury prize at the 14th annual Sarasota Film Festival, which ended Sunday.
Director Fredrik Gertten's "Big Boys Gone Bananas!* was the documentary jury prize winner.
Two special jury prizes were awarded. In the narrative category, "Alps," directed by Giorgos Lanthimos," took home a special jury prize. "Radio Unnameable," directed by Paul Lovelace, won the documentary feature competition special jury prize.
After being diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998, Helm's voice was reduced to a whisper but he made a stunning recovery, singing on the Grammy Award-winning albums "Dirt Farmer" (2007) and "Electric Dirt" (2009) as well as performing acclaimed, all-star concerts at his Woodstock home.
I interviewed Helm in January of 2005 (see slightly edited version of story below) to advance his appearance as part of that year's Sarasota Film Festival, where I met the man responsible for making some of my favorite records.
Here's to hoping for a miracle.
—Photo credit: Richard Drew, AP file photo
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Original run date: January 28, 2005
This Wheel's Still on Fire: The Band's Levon Helm talks about 'living in an age of miracles'
"We're living in an age of miracles," Levon Helm, 64, declared jubilantly. "A couple years ago I couldn't even talk."
Helm is one of the more original and soulful vocalist in rock 'n' roll history. The Band's most famous anthems — "The Weight," "Up on Cripple Creek," and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" — are all buoyed by his husky pipes. In a cruel twist of fate, though, the singer was silenced by cancer of the vocal chords about five years ago.
"But now I'm coming back more and more and better and better," Helm affirmed. "I even sing some harmonies with my daughter Amy."
Any chance he'll sing lead again?
"I hope so," Helm said. "I got my fingers crossed."
So do we.
"Put in a good word," he joked. Then Helm unleashed his trademark chuckle.
Helm laughed throughout the interview. It was a beautiful thing. The Arkansas native starts with a subtle wheeze and then it swells into a rather high-pitched guffaw. It's the kind of laugh that, like his music, can warm a room.
"We're trying to be what you might call invigorating," Helm said from his home/studio in snow covered Woodstock, N.Y. "We got the fireplace stoked up good and lil' Sammy Davis is coming over and this place will really heat up."
Davis is the lead vocalist in The Levon Helm Band. Helm has remained active in the music by utilizing his talents as an impeccable drummer, bassist, guitarist and mandolin player.
"When I lost my voice the best thing I could do for a band was play the drums and be a spark plug," Helm said. "Music is still my main attention, it's still the most fun.
"Lil' Sammy, he is where my heart is. Playing the blues, he's damn good at it. We do some rock things and some love songs but when it comes to the Delta blues, oh boy, he's fantastic."
In addition to performing with his own band, he produces records for others at his Levon Helm Studios (www.levonhelm.com). Helm described the building as "three barns — the big one in the middle is the main studio." Helm lives next to the studio so he can "be right next to the action and jump right in when someone starts to play."
The Levon Helm Band performs originals and classic blues covers. No Band songs. Helm is proud of his past accomplishments but his rift with Robbie Robertson and the loss of two fellow band members puts a damper on past glories.
Legacy of The Band
The Band landed on the cover of Time magazine in 1970. The caption read: "The New Sound of Country Rock." From 1968-74 it was one of the most influential groups in popular music.
But back in 1965, Helm's group was called Levon and the Hawks. That summer they were the house band at a club called Tony Mart's in Somers Point, N.J., when Bob Dylan "discovered" them.
The Band eventually toured with Dylan in 1965-66 and then holed up in Woodstock with him and recorded "The Basement Tapes" and their debut album "Big Pink."
The Band's earthy stew of blues, country, R&B, folk, rock and old-time storytelling separated them from their peers. To this day, albums such as "Music from Big Pink," "The Band" and their live document "Rock of Ages" are among the finest releases of the era.
"There's nothing so powerful as the truth," Helm said. "Those songs are still as powerful because they're still true (pause). Maybe one of these days the credit will reflect how they were made."
Bad blood
Helm has been publicly blasting Robertson for decades over songwriting royalties, the bread and butter of the music industry. Robertson is solely credited for most of The Band's songs. Helm (and other band members in the past) argue the creative process was a group effort.
In his 1993 autobiography, "This Wheel's on Fire," Helm writes: "It's important to recognize Robertson's role as a catalyst and writer, but I blame (manager) Albert Grossman for letting him or giving him or making him take too much credit for the Band's work."
The Band reunited sans Robertson in 1983. They were enjoying mild success when vocalist/ pianist Richard Manuel killed himself in Winter Haven following a 1986 concert. Original members Helm, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson toured and recorded periodically as The Band until Danko died of heart failure in1999.
Armand Assante is returning to Lakewood Ranch to hit the links for charity.
The Emmy Award-winning actor will bring star power to the 16th annual Phil Galvano Golf Classic that raises funds for Manatee County’s Public Schools through the Manatee Education Foundation.
This year’s tournament will be held May 18 at the Legacy Golf Club at Lakewood Ranch.
Sponsorships are available at $15,000, $10,000 and $2,500.
The $15,000 "Eagle sponsors" will be able to enjoy an exclusive lunch with Assante and a private round of golf with Bill Galvano, a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, on May 17 at the Longboat Key Club and Resort.
Assante won an Emmy Award for playing the titular mafia kingpin in the HBO movie “Gotti.”
He shared the screen with Demi Moore in “Striptease,” battled Sylvester Stallone in “Judge Dredd” and more recently appeared in the acclaimed Denzel Washington/Russell Crowe drama “American Gangster.”
Assante sat down with the me for an interview in December while in Lakewood Ranch to film "Blind Pass," the second independent, feature-length film by Sarasota-based Midnight Pass Productions and writer/producer/director Steve Tatone.
Photo — ROD MILLINGTON/Special to the Herald courtesy of Midnight Pass Productions Armand Assante with actress Danielle White on set in Manatee County of the movie "Blind Pass."
Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2011/12/18/3734069/on-set-with-armand-assante.html#storylink=cpy
Interviewing Frank Langella on the red carpet outside the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Photo provided by Caroline Sansone.
It's always strange working the red carpet.
You and a bunch of other media types get to ask a few questions about a film you've never seen to a star who has plastered the same smile on his or her face for the past 10-15 minutes.
Yeah, it looks like I'm having a good time in that picture but it's brutal.
Anyway, here's what I came up with while on the red carpet outside the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall for the opening night film — "Robot & Frank" starring Frank Langella — of the Sarasota Film Festival on Friday.
A year ago I complained about one of my favorite annual Bradenton events, Heatstroke Hot Rod Hoedown, relocating to Sarasota after a killer seven-year run in the same awesomely laid-back location.
Props to Paxton 'P-Man' Richards for bringing the event back to his P-Man's Classic Cycle Paint shop in the warehouse district of west downtown Bradenton.
He just told me the street will be blocked off — yes, he finally received permission from the city, more on that later — and that the event is ready to go with a little help from WSLR 96.5.
All the other info available so far is on the poster.
Sex, violence, a complicated hero, a multi-faceted villain, a bit of humor and a tragic ending.
At its core, though, “Hamlet” is about that timeless theme of vengeance.
On this level the Asolo Repertory Theatre’s production, adapted and directed by the company’s producing artistic director Michael Edwards, works extremely well.
William Shakespeare’s masterpiece has been judiciously cut to two hours — about half the length of the original — giving it a greater sense of urgency without trading much in terms of character development.
The disappointment, though, is that not more is made of the late 19th-century Havana setting of this new but familiar work titled “Hamlet, Prince of Cuba.”
On a positive note, Frankie Alvarez delivers a fresh take on the character who must ask “to be or not to be,” playing him by turns mad and melancholy, funny and fierce as he attempts to avenge the death of his father.
Emilio Delgado, who has played Luis the Fix-It Shop owner on “Sesame Street” since 1971, is equally brilliant as King Claudius.
He’s the bad guy who killed his brother — Hamlet’s dad — to seize the throne and then married Hamlet’s mom Gertrude.
She’s played by the always impressive Mercedes Herrero, seen in last year’s Asolo Rep productions of “Boeing Boeing, “Deathtrap” and “La Bête”.
Gisela Chípe is wonderfully unhinged as the theater world’s most famous erotomaniac, Ophelia.
Meanwhile, first-time Asolo Rep guest artist Andhy Mendez does a winning job of selling the climatic sword fight and more as Laertes, the brother of Ophelia and son of Claudius’ chief counselor Polonius (Douglas Jones).
It’s a talented cast working under Edwards’ assured direction with his smartly trimmed script to create a truly must-see presentation of “Hamlet.”
But the play could’ve accomplished more, and really made a statement, by further exploring the Cuba connection.
For starters, Dane Laffrey’s set, a dilapidated wall with three industrial fans that appear broken, doesn’t give the audience much direction as to where the action takes place.
And Clint Ramos’ costumes, while uniformly handsome, could largely pass for attire worn by 19th century aristocrats from Cuba, Spain, England, the U.S. etc.
Most importantly, though, is that while Edwards notes in the program that “vengeance has also played a particularly destructive role in Cuba and in Cuban-American relations” we never see this manifest on stage.
In fact, the only reference to the Spanish-American War of 1898 is a rather jarring surprise appearance at the end of the play.
—Publicity photo by Scott Braun: Frankie J. Alvarez stars as Hamlet and Gisela Chípe.
Details: Through May 6, Asolo Repertory’s Mertz Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets: $27-$71. Information: 941-351-8000 or www.asolorep.org
Asolo Rep presents events leading up the Spanish performances of ‘Hamlet, Prince of Cuba’:
While the show is currently enjoying a run in English at Asolo Rep, it will have two performances in Spanish with English supertitles 8 p.m. May 3 at 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. May 5. The Spanish translation is by Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz (“Anna in the Tropics”).
After concluding its run in Sarasota, the show will move to the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center in Miami where there will be both English and supertitled Spanish performances May 11-13.
Events ranging from pre-show reception to panel discussions, all leading up to the Spanish performances, will be held April 15, 20, 28 and May 1-5 from Sarasota to Tampa.
For more information on the events above please contact the Asolo Rep’s education and outreach director, Brian Hersh, at brian_hersh@asolo.org or by calling 941-351-9010 x3320.
Jeff Cook, Rick Derringer and Marty Balin will be forming an exciting, unlikely supergroup on May 4 at the Bradenton Municipal Auditorium to raise funds for the Palmetto-based Del Couch Music Education Foundation.
Cook — co-founder, vocalist, guitarist and fiddler for Country Music Hall of Fame act Alabama — played a benefit for Music Education last June. He's currently taking part in Alabama's highly anticipated reunion tour.
Derringer, who has a home in Manatee County, is a Grammy Award-winning producer, singer, songwriter and guitar hero best known for hits such as "Hang on Sloopy" and "Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo." Derringer recently returned from world tour with Ringo Starr and the All Starr Band .
Marty Balin
Marty Balin is best known as the founder and one of the lead singers of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame act Jefferson Airplane.
Cook and Derringer with be sitting in with Balin's band, Couch said during a recent visit to Herald headquarters.
The Billy Rice Band will also perform plus Music Education student standouts such as 10-tear-old Jack Castro.
Kojak's Palmetto Ribhouse is catering the event.
Details: 6-11 p.m. May 4, Bradenton Municipal Auditorium, 1005 Barcarrota Blvd.
Bradenton. Tickets: $50.00 at the door includes buffet dinner. Information: 941-545-4379 or http://couchmusiceducationfoundation.org.
Buzz Worthy is a forum for Bradenton Herald features writer/columnist Marty Clear to share his thoughts on the Bradenton-Sarasota arts, theater and music scene as well as the national entertainment scene, including television and movies. He welcomes feedback on all these topics.
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