Rewind & Play

Autumn, 1969. At the end of his European tour, legendary jazz musician Thelonious Monk appears on an interview show in Paris for French state television. A good 50 years later, Alain Gomis has taken apart the original version broadcast by reediting the footage, including various outtakes. "Rewind & Play" is the result of his endeavours, showing the obvious lack of respect with which the Black musician was treated and the extent to which he was portrayed in a particular light for French audiences.

Host Henri Renaud repeatedly asks Monk the same questions until he obtains the answer he seeks. Any answer he deems unsuitable is censored. Exhausted from the tour, the musician usually answers in monosyllables, often mumbling. He shines as soon as he plays the piano alone.

The film is interspersed with longer musical passages, including a poignant rendition of "Crepuscule for Nelly". Monk was known for deconstructing rhythms and harmonies, working with repetition and small pauses, thus injecting a sense of musical instability into his work. This specific characteristic of Monk's music is taken up by the rhythm of the montage in Gomis' film.

Source: 72. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)