David Byrne's American utopia
Edition
Producer- and director-approved DVD special edition.
Languages
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, English descriptive audio.
Performers
David Byrne, Jacquelene Acevedo, Gustavo Di Dalva, Daniel Freedman, Chris Giarmo, Tim Keiper, Tendayi Kuumba, Karl Mansfield, Mauro Refosco, Stéphane San Juan, Angie Swan, Bobby Wooten III.
Publication Information
[New York, NY] : Criterion Collection, [2025]
Physical Description
1 videodisc (106 minutes) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 folded sheet (color illustrations ; 19 cm)
Audience
Not rated.
Summary
"David Byrne meets America's fractious political moment with the transcendent power of song in this ecstatic documentary of the Broadway adaptation of his acclaimed American Utopia tour. Captured with immersive immediacy by director Spike Lee, this uplifting spectacle interweaves twenty-one songs, both new and classic, with Byrne's singular observations on the state of the nation--its perils, promises, and possibility for transformation. Choreographed by Annie-B Parson with the inventive minimalism that has become a signature of Byrne's live performances, David Byrne's American Utopia moves between moments of communal exuberance and hymnlike grace, making the case for music as an agent of protest, change, and above all unity."--Container.
Notes
Originally released as a motion picture in 2020.
Special features: 4K digital master, supervised by director of photography Ellen Kuras ; new documentary featuring Kuras, musician-producer David Byrne, dancer-vocalist Tendayi Kuumba, director Spike Lee, choreographer and musical stager Annie-B Parson, lighting designer Rob Sinclair, and bassist Bobby Wooten III ; conversation from 2020 between Lee and Byrne ; trailer.