Ride, Rise, Roar

When someone’s as energetic, dynamic and brimming with imagination as David Byrne, it’s a joy to make a feature-length documentary about him. Director Jonathan Demme captured his former band Talking Heads live on camera (Stop Making Sense, 1984), and the result was a film which is still being voted the best concert film of all time. Now we have a documentary which combines Byrne’s riveting onstage performances with intimate details of the creative process behind them. The film follows the 08/09 tour, during which Byrne presents songs written together with Brian Eno. It takes a look behind the scenes at the auditions, rehearsals and interviews with key players, while revealing the imaginative route that led to Byrne’s typically brisk fusion of intelligent pop music and modern dance. The premiere of the film, which celebrates Byrne’s extensive career and testifies to the creative force which keeps him going today, was successfully screened at the American festival SXSW 2010.