For decades, Nick Cave has kept up an impressive juggling act of many creative talents. The Aussie has won plaudits as a songwriter, a screenwriter, atop live performer, and a unique vocalist – but above all the Bad Seeds frontman is considered a storyteller, and his skills as a storyteller will be celebrated at the Light House Cinema this June.
From June 1st – 6th, the Smithfield cinema will present a season of films highlighting Nick Cave’s contribution to the world of film. This small selection of films will provide a sample of Cave’s impact on modern cinema, from his grounded screenplays that have breathed new life into the Western in the 21st century, to some of his unforgettable contributions to film scores together with bandmate Warren Ellis. Also included as part of the season are a couple of well-received docs providing an insight into the man himself, as well as the band that have made up the cornerstone of his creative output over the years.
Check out the full schedule for Nick Cave Season below, complete with recs from the Light House themselves. Tickets for this series of films are available now.
Lawless – Friday, June 1st, 10:30pm
Nick Cave wrote the screenplay to this adaptation of Matt Bondurant’s The Wettest County in the World, a true story about the authors’ ancestors, a family of moonshine bootleggers in Virginia in the 1920s. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis also provided the score and collaborated on songs with Ralph Stanley, Mark Lanegan, Emmylou Harris and others to create a vivid, violent portrayal of a family of complicated men during prohibition-era America.
20,000 Days on Earth – Saturday, June 2nd , 3:30pm
Visual artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard co-wrote and directed this hugely ambitious docu-drama detailing the 20,000th day in the life of Nick Cave. The film’s ambitious concept provides some insight into the process and the fascinating mind of one of the world’s greatest songwriters while also highlighting the drive and discipline it takes to be a fearless creative of Nick Cave’s calibre.
One More Time With Feeling – Saturday, June 2, 6:30pm
Director Andrew Dominick explores creativity, comradery and the recording process with his friend Nick Cave as he and The Bad Seeds record their album The Skeleton Tree in the aftermath of huge personal tragedy. Deeply intelligent, extremely moving and beautifully shot in black & white, Dominick has crafted one of the most stunning, immersive music films ever made, and one which is best experienced on the big screen.
The Proposition – Sunday June 3, 2018, 8:30pm
Just when the western genre seemed to have trailed off as a relic of old Hollywood, John Hillcoat’s film of Nick Cave’s screenplay for The Proposition gave audiences something completely fresh. A savage, sun-scorched western set in the Australian outback, this unforgiving, yet incredibly beautiful example of the genre rejects nostalgia and instead gives audiences a socially fascinating and unapologetically brutal story of brotherhood and revenge heightened by the gorgeous iconic score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. An absolute classic.
The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford – Monday June 4, 8pm
Andrew Dominick’s take on the mythic story of the assassination of outlaw Jesse James, one of America’s most iconic historical figures, is a masterpiece for a number of reasons – the sharp, intelligent central performance from Brad Pitt as Jesse James, Casey Affleck’s haunting turn as the repulsive but vulnerable Robert Ford, the insightful take on celebrity culture, the unparalleled cinematography by Roger Deakins, and of course the absolutely profound score created by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Don’t miss a are opportunity to experience this modern masterpiece on the big screen.
Wind River – Tuesday June 5, 6:30pm
The film collaborations of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are so often associated with the western genre, it is a fine aural treat to hear them score Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River, a murder mystery set in a Native American reservation. The film’s snowy, oppressive landscape suggests latent horrors which are easily hidden and the film’s score heightens the haunting sense of tragedy that drives the story to its moving conclusion.
Hell Or High Water – Wednesday June 6, 6:30pm
A favourite of both the Light House and ourselves over the last few years, this slick modern western from British director David Mackenzie, looks at the reality of what it means to be an outlaw in the modern world and what drives people to do so. An energetic snapshot of a very particular niche of rural America, Hell Or High Water is honest and heartfelt with a dusty, intense soundtrack from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis which knows when to make your heart pound and when to let silence speak for itself.
Artwork by Gavin Feiritear