22 Abril, 23h45, Londres 1 • 28 Abril, 23h45, Londres 1

Townes Van Zandt é como um fantasma, uma assombração na história da música popular americana. Morreu em 1997, aos 52 anos. Filho de uma influente família do Texas, abdicou desse privilégio para se dedicar às canções. Depois emergiu como um anjo, um rei dos poetas. Com Lightin’ Hopkins e Dylan de um lado, a tristeza e a solidão (“as duas coisas mais preciosas”) do outro, fez maus contratos com editoras e tornou-se objecto de culto. Hoje, Van Zandt é, reconhecidamente, um dos grandes génios da América. O filme de Margaret Brown, um documento terno e afectuoso, assim o atesta. Recorrendo a testemunhos de amigos (Guy Clark, Joe Elly, Steve Earle e Willie Nelson, entre outros) e familiares (as ex-mulheres e os filhos), e a imagens raras de arquivo, BE HERE TO LOVE ME recorda a sua infância atormentada, os seus problemas com álcool e drogas e a degradação física a que lentamente se entregaria. Mas, acima de tudo, fica o retrato de um homem talentoso e perturbado.

An unblinking look at a troubled man and his music, Be Here To Love Me details the life of singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt. A troubled child born into affluence in Fort Worth, Texas, Van Zandt was diagnosed with manic depression and received shock treatment after he fell from a 4th story window “just to see what it felt like.” Although commercial success eluded Van Zandt up until his death in 1997 from a heart attack after years of drug and alcohol abuse, he has become widely respected as one of the greatest country and folk artists of his generation. Director Margaret Brown focuses on the decision to live his life for his art – to “blow everything off... get a guitar and go!” Her haunting and lyrical film combines interviews with friends and family with never seen footage of Townes Van Zandt, from rare performance and interview footage to intimate portraits shot in Van Zandt's home through out the years. It also includes appearances by many famous musicians including Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Kris Kristofferson, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, and Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley.

Nasceu em Mobile, no Alabama. Estudou na Brown University e na Tisch School of the Arts, em Nova Iorque, onde foi distinguida com o Prémio Nestor Almendros. Já realizou várias curtas-metragens e trabalhou como assistente de câmara. BE HERE TO LOVE ME: A FILM ABOUT TOWNES VAN ZANDT é a sua estreia na longa-metragem.

Born in Mobile, Alabama and studied at Brown University and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she won the Nestor Almendros Award for excellence in cinematography. She has directed several short films and has also worked as a camera assistant. BE HERE TO LOVE ME: A FILM ABOUT TOWNES VAN ZANDT is her first feature as director.

Filmografia / Filmography
BE HERE TO LOVE ME: A FILM ABOUT TOWNES VAN ZANDT

Fotografia / Cinematography:
Lee Daniel
Montagem / Editing:
Karen Skloss, Don Howard
Hammond
Música / Music:
Jonathan McHugh
Som / Sound:
Tom Hammond
Produção / Producer:
Rakefilms
Produtora / Production Company:
Rakefilms

Com / With: Joe Ely, Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Kinky Friedman,
Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, Steve Shelley