The Loneliest Man in Town Panorama © Vento Film
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About
Canadian Premiere
Vienna-based musician Al Cook (born Alois Koch) plays a fictionalized version of himself in this deadpan but poignant portrait of a bluesman at a crossroads. The sole remaining occupant of his apartment building, Al relies on his memories and an informal archive of obsolete media to keep him company. But with a real estate developer’s wrecking ball looming, Al must grapple with the reality that the first 80-year chapter of his life is coming to an end. Might America — birthplace of his musical influences and cultural touchstones — offer the chance for a new beginning?
Interweaving footage from Cook’s real career with staged scenes of urban alienation that recall Aki Kaurismäki, directors Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel craft an extraordinary character study in which moments of humour never detract from the drama. Loneliest Man in Town is a beguiling minor-key medley of melancholy and nostalgia that draws you fully into its thrall.
Vienna-based musician Al Cook (born Alois Koch) plays a fictionalized version of himself in this deadpan but poignant portrait of a bluesman at a crossroads. The sole remaining occupant of his apartment building, Al relies on his memories and an informal archive of obsolete media to keep him company. But with a real estate developer’s wrecking ball looming, Al must grapple with the reality that the first 80-year chapter of his life is coming to an end. Might America — birthplace of his musical influences and cultural touchstones — offer the chance for a new beginning?
Interweaving footage from Cook’s real career with staged scenes of urban alienation that recall Aki Kaurismäki, directors Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel craft an extraordinary character study in which moments of humour never detract from the drama. Loneliest Man in Town is a beguiling minor-key medley of melancholy and nostalgia that draws you fully into its thrall.
