Grace Jones film – Bloodlight and Bami plus special event – words Al Woods
Grace Jones rose to prominence on those heady fantastical disco days of late seventies New York. She was a much in demand model, having graced the pages of some of the world’s most prized magazines.
Her fame was enhanced by her appearances at the heralded and notorious Studio 54 and her own unique image and character that catapulted her onto a new level all of her own.
It was though when she broke through with her darkly epic heavy funk classics such as Slave to the Rhythm, Pull up to the Bumper, Private Life and Demolition Man that she clawed her way into our worldwide consciousness. She became that rarest of things, a cultural icon that crossed but also transcended all genres.
Now a major Grace Jones film is due to hit our screens hoping to shine some light on this most enigmatic of characters. Grace Jones Bloodlight and Bami (opening in cinemas nationwide on 27 October) re-invents the music film as an electrifying journey through the performance, private and public worlds of pop cultural icon Grace Jones, whose bold aesthetic echoes throughout the film. Director Sophie Fiennes (The Pervert’s Guide To Ideology, The Pervert’s Guide To Cinema, Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow) creates a powerful cinematic experience, contrasting breathtaking musical sequences with intimate personal footage, ultimately reaching beyond the iconic mask. In Jamaican patois, ‘Bloodlight’ is the red light that illuminates when an artist is recording and ‘Bami’ means bread, the substance of daily life.
Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami is produced by Katie Holly (Love & Friendship, The Queen Of Ireland, Citadel) of Dublin-based Blinder Films, alongside Sophie Fiennes, Shani Hinton and Beverly Jones. The film is backed by BBC Films (Brooklyn, I Daniel Blake), the BFI (45 Years, Lady Macbeth), the Irish Film Board (Room, Love & Friendship) and Roads Entertainment (Being AP, Forever Pure).
Executive producers also include James Wilson (Under The Skin, Shaun Of The Dead, 20,000 Days On Earth), Francesca Von Hapsburg (Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present) and Émilie Blézat. The hats worn by Grace in the film are created by haute couture designer Philip Treacy. The staging for the performance sequences are based on the concepts designed for Grace Jones by Oscar winning designer, the late Eiko Isioka.
Grace Jones and Friends Live (one night only event October 25) promises to be a thrilling and enlightening evening with the inimitable icon, as she discusses her life and work with some of her closest collaborators, from the worlds of music, fashion, art and film, following an exclusive preview of Sophie Fiennes’ highly anticipated new film Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami.
GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI – A film by Sophie Fiennes, in cinemas 27 October 2017
To find see the Grace Jones documentary trailer and your closest cinema and book tickets for Grace Jones and Friends Live go to Gracejonestickets.co.uk
Grace Jones film – Bloodlight and Bami plus special event – words Al Woods
