‘This is our jam’: Downtown indie film house brings in acclaimed German pic
The Beverly Theater is staging a German music-drama centered on a teenager who beat the odds to organize a groundbreaking concert in the mid-’70s.
In other words, as The Beverly Theater program director Kip Kelly says, “It’s a very long trip for a filmmaker and film that otherwise wouldn’t come to Vegas. That’s our jam.”
“Köln 75” is the film, screening 6:20 p.m. Friday (or, today, if you are reading this Friday) at the theater on 515 S. 6th St. Yours truly moderating a Q&A with writer/director Ido Fluk and executive producer Jennifer Fox.
Walk-up tickets are still available. The film returns to the theater at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday (go to thebeverlytheater.com for intel).
“Köln 75” tells the tale of Vera Brandes, a kid in 1970s Cologne (Köln, in German) who was a jazz aficionado. She seized the task of organizing a concert in her hometown hosted by jazz-piano great Keith Jarrett at Köln Opera House. Jarrett’s improvised performance was captured in “The Köln Concert,” the top-selling solo jazz album ever.
Fluk stresses the film is not about Jarrett, nor is it a recounting of the performance. It follows Brandes, the unlikely heroine played by Mala Emde, in her adventure in bringing Jarrett (portrayed intensely by John Magaro) to the concert stage.
Emde has earned Best Performance By An Actress in a Leading Role at the German Film Awards. The film has also won the Audience Award at the Newport Beach (Calif.) Film Festival, and the Critics Award and ACCEC Criticism Award at the Barcelona-Sant Jordi International Film Festival (for Fluk).
The film has scored an 87 percent positive review on Rotten Tomatoes. Fluk likes that result but wants feedback from those who might sour on a story told in half-English, and half-German, with subtitles.
“If a work of art pleases everyone, then you did something wrong,” Fluk said in a recent Zoom chat. “It’s been screening all over the country, and we’re just trying to get people to know about it, and watch it. Once they watch it, most say they enjoy it.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
