Austrian singer Al Cook knows the blues. And he plays it. But now, he also plays the loneliest man in town, who, just like his icon Elvis Presley, may have to leave the building. As a matter of fact, he may even have to leave the country!
Al Cook, the English translation of his birth name Alois Koch, plays the protagonist of The Loneliest Man in Town, the new feature from Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel (Vera, Notes from the Underworld, Mister Universo, The Shine of Day, Babooska), which world premiere sin the competition lineup of the Berlin International Film Festival on Thursday, Feb. 19. Actually, he plays a fictionalized version of himself in the docu-fiction portrait.
The movie, an ode to sticking to your beliefs and resisting compromise in the face of change, focuses on Cook, who lives in the Austrian capital of Vienna, surrounded by memories. “His apartment and basement studio are crammed full of books, videotapes and vinyl records – all that remains of a life once fully lived,” reads a synopsis. “Here, time seems to stand still while, beyond these four walls, the world has moved on. The blues, the music that means everything to Al, is slowly being forgotten. His hometown no longer feels like home, and the loss of his beloved wife, Silvia, still weighs heavily on his heart.”
If you thought that’s enough to give Cook the blues, think again! “When a ruthless real estate company targets his home for demolition, his refuge is taken away, leaving him to face the ruins of his life,” continues the synopsis. “As Al is forced to let go of his treasures one by one, he must ask himself the painful question: How do you move forward when memories are all you have left? In the face of total loss, he chooses a radical new beginning.”
The movie, which was produced by Vento Film, with Be For Films handling world sales, stars Alois Koch, aka Austrian Blues singer Al Cook (yes, that is the literal English translation of his name), with the cast also including the likes of Brigitte Meduna, Alfred Blechinger, and Flurina Schneider.
Covi and Frimmel directed, producted and handled casting. The script is from Covi, and the cinematography was handled by Frimmel, while Covi and Emily Artmann edited the film.
Stadtkino will release The Loneliest Man in Town in Austria, with deals for other territories also having started to come in. THR can reveal that Kmbo has acquired the film for France, Xenix Filmdistribution has taken it for Switzerland, A-One Films for the Baltics, and New Cinema for Israel.
The filmmakers were intrigued by the idea of a movie with Cook as the protagonist. “What fascinated us was that this talented blues guitarist performs in very small venues sometimes, and at other times on a much larger scale – always refusing to compromise about his musical vision,” Frimmel shares in press notes. “For us, he’s a symbol of all those artists whose commitment to authenticity means sacrificing the opportunity to be seen or heard more widely.”
Covi adds: “We were aware that a film with him would be a great project, but difficult as well, because he is a very independent artist: someone who wants to be in sole charge.” But things worked out, she concludes: “We went back and forth for a long time until he came to trust our concept. We tried to convey to him that, to a certain extent, he would be a protagonist playing himself, but he would also be a role model for a lot of other people who are in similar situations.”
THR can now premiere an exclusive clip from The Loneliest Man in Town. Be warned: you, and Al, are in for a bit of a surprise.
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