“BEATS OF FREEDOM” CONQUER FINLAND!
Last Saturday in Oulu, Finland the 4th edition of MusiXine International Music Film Festival came to an end. Among nine music documentaries taking part in the competition Polish “Beats of Freedom” - a story about Polish rock music–was announced the best one!
The competition of MusiXine, which was held in Oulu, Finland from 17th to 19th March, introduced the diversity of music themes–from histories on British pop to images of the birth of reggae or apocalyptic motives in modern Japanese sounds. Among those varied stories of many kinds also the Polish accent emerged, embodied by Wojciech Słota and Leszek Gnoiński’s powerful film–Beats of Freedom. What is more, it also made its way straight to the podium and won the main prize.
The jury–consisting of the following members: the New-York-based director and scriptwriter Margarita Jimeno, Petri Varis, producer of the Rokumentti rock film festival in the Eastern Finnish town of Joensuu and Janne Nyyssönen, journalist and music critic–justified their decision with these words:
Beats of Freedom is an inspiring and important film, with an energetic account of the fall of communism, and the rise of music as a powerful source of creativity to combat oppression. The directors Wojciech Słota and Leszek Gnoiński crafted an impressive film incorporating great use of archival material, sound, music, and new interviews. Reminding us of the recent political events, this film speaks to a contemporary audience regardless of age, or background, and that music can be more than a product. A must have soundtrack for any music lover.
More information about the festival can be found here.