Mala Emde stars as Vera Brandes, the German teenager who presented jazz pianist Keith Jarrett’s Cologne performance, in film Köln 75.Murray Paterson/Supplied
The closing gala film of this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival, which runs to Oct. 12, is Köln 75, a behind-the-scenes drama about German teenager Vera Brandes, dubbed a “jazz bunny” by the press. She presented jazz pianist Keith Jarrett’s legendary Cologne performance in 1975.
The screening on Oct. 11 is part of VIFF Live, a series of live performances partnered with films. For Köln 75, Vancouver pianist Chris Gestrin performs a solo set of Jarrett-inspired music.
The film’s director, Ido Fluk, spoke from New York.
Why make a film about an unknown jazz promoter instead of focusing on Keith Jarrett?
It all came out of me thinking that we’ve seen enough of the movies that have the same kind of arc. I won’t name names, but we know the movies I’m talking about. A musician is discovered, there is a rise to fame, they get in trouble with drugs or some kind of spiral, and it all ends with a big concert in the end.
Usually with redemption.
And that’s fine. We should have these movies. But at some point, it began to feel to me as a filmmaker that it’s the same film. We’re just slapping a new soundtrack on it. I wanted to make something new. I’m telling the story of a concert from the inside out, from behind the stage into the front of the stage.
It helps to have a fascinating protagonist, German music promoter Vera Brandes.
Right. It’s a landmark concert. It’s a masterpiece recording. But all of that doesn’t happen if this German teenager, who is only pretending to know what she’s doing, doesn’t do what she does. Which is to convince Keith Jarrett to play this giant concert on a broken instrument. This concert does not exist without her.
That he performed with the wrong piano is what made the concert as legendary as it is. A lot of it’s about the lore, right?
It’s the story of every great piece of art ever made. The necessity of problems, the obstructions.
Emde, centre, and Shirin Lilly Eissa, right, in a still from the film.Murray Paterson/Supplied
Vera also overcame obstructions. She lived in a patriarchal society surrounded by flawed men.
Absolutely. I like to think of it as two master improvisers, not one. Keith Jarrett is great at improvising on piano. But Vera was a master at improvising at life and making things happen. And she did this despite every single person in her life trying to stop her. It’s the 1970s, a time when women are thinking about their role in society. She organized abortion rights rallies in Cologne. She stood up to all the people who tried to tell her no.
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How did she react when you approached her about this film?
She’s living in Greece on a beach. When we reached her, she said, “Finally someone wants to tell my story.” She never got the credit she deserved.
Did you approach Jarrett?
Very early on. He didn’t want anything to do with it. He’s sick and tired of this concert. And I understand that. He was 29 years old, and this is one of many, many concerts, and since then everyone just wants to talk about this one piece.
Which isn’t even necessarily his best work.
He’s played lots of concerts since, and some are better, musically speaking. More complex, more complicated, richer. And, yet, for some reason, the world remembers this one. This is his The Starry Night. This is Radiohead playing Creep for the thousandth time. He doesn’t like that.
But Van Gogh put The Starry Night on canvas. Radiohead recorded Creep for posterity. Jarrett was improvising in the moment. In the film, he says he doesn’t want the performance recorded. And now you’ve made a film about it.
This film is filled with love, admiration and respect for Keith Jarrett. He’s one of the greats, no argument.
We do get a mini portrait of him, even though the film is about Vera.
It was important to get him right, to capture the man. And although he didn’t want to be involved, we did find his brother. He served as a consultant. People who know Keith Jarrett know how difficult he is sometimes. He’s thorny. He can be seen as an eccentric.
Do you see Köln 75 as a jazz film?
No. To me it’s a punk rock film. The female protagonist is a punk rock character. The era is proto punk. It’s a punk rock action that she does. So, it’s a punk rock film about jazz.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.