BY BETH DEDMAN
A documentary film about the rock band Swans will premiere at 7:30 p.m. March 12 at Brooklyn’s Nitehawk Cinema.
WHERE DOES A BODY END? follows the Swans as they emerge as a post-punk band in 1980s New York through their brief mainstream success in the 90s indie-rock scene and to their modern status as an accomplished and ambitious band.
Marco Porsia, who directed, filmed and edited the documentary, embedded himself in the band for five years and filmed rehearsals, songwriting sessions, road trips, petty arguments and live performances.
The film chronicles all the breakups and chaos, both on and off stage, of the band, the recording of some of their most significant albums and the final months leading to their farewell tour.
“There really is no other force of music like Swans,” said Thurston Moore, a founding member of Sonic Youth. “Swans stand alone, integral, drenched in pathos. A band to end all bands.”
Singer-songwriter Michael Gira has been the one consistency for SWANS since it formed in 1982. The documentary also showcases Gira’s life as a teenage runaway, art school provocateur, alcoholic and family man.
Using photographs and hundreds of hours of never-before-seen videos and audio recordings, the documentary is not only a concert film, but a musical history, time-capsule and tour diary.
The screening will be followed by a Q & A moderated by journalist Jordan Mamone and will feature director Marco Porsia, JG Thirlwell of Foetus and Norman Westberg of Swans. Many past and present Swans members will also attend the screening.
More information about the documentary, including the trailer, is available at www.wheredoesabodyend.com.
