The name Warren Ellis, even if you don’t know his name, you’ll recognize his music. He collaborated with Nick Cave on scores for several films Assassination of Jesse James arrive wind river But better known for his roles as violinist in Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds; the legendary goth band will play a 02 venue tour in London later this year as part of promotion for their new album: “Wild God” is arguably the best album of 2024. ——He has his own documentary (20,000 days on earth, feeling it again, I know it’s true), puts the spotlight on Ellis himself and his personal upbringing, narrated by Justin Kurzel; Responsible for 2015 macbeth, nitram and The True History of the Kelly Gang. Kurzel’s guidance takes Ellis back into his personal life – we see his parents and his relationship with the violin, as well as how he learned to play it, and the reputation he gained for his playing as a young man — documentary in an educated, slow, methodological way.
Movies and Ellis were immediately connected – cinema was one of the best escapes for him and his father – with references to Pink Floyd live concerts and good guy Highly talked about and praised. His relationship with his parents is discussed extensively in the film as an effective talking point, building on his work with animal rights activist Femke Denhas and the animal sanctuary he founded. Obviously, those familiar with Kurzel’s filmography will know that this isn’t going to be your typical self-promotion documentary, and thankfully we’ve had enough of that – but instead, the slower pace contributes to its power. He talks about his childhood and where he opened for the Bad Seeds with his first band, the Dirty Three, he also talks about the first time he played with Nick Cave in 1994 and their friendship. Still alive. Early archival footage shows a young Ellis wearing an AC/DC shirt talking about how Kev made him a musician – and we see the names on stage as proof of their success: by Nina Simone A performance at Meldown 99 in London cemented their status. The most selfless of musicians spend a lot of time in documentaries talking about anyone but themselves, and that’s what Ellis does here – archival footage of Nina Simone heralds her star power; Doing that – it tells you more about him as an artist than anything else.
The park defines Ellis’ life outside of music, and Femke’s impact on the park speaks to her ability to find her purpose in life, which feels like a gift worth giving. It documents their first meeting: very much about infrastructure for the post-Covid world. Ellis talks about what he’s been unable to do four years later because of the pandemic; the shadow it’s cast on an artist’s life. It talks about his point of view; if Femke was there, doing what she does, he would have the ability to write some music for the movie. Both were extraordinary people and gave it their all at every turn. Their love and affection for animals is palpable, and Femke brings her heart and knowledge to the screen, and it’s a pleasure to watch her interactions with Ellis talk about stopping and freeing trafficked animals. It gives you an idea of how cruel and widespread the wildlife trade is. It’s all soundtracked by Ellis’s own music – which lends it an otherworldly importance.
Kurzel’s skill behind the camera allows the viewer to transcend a film that only focuses on highlighting the obvious moments to the viewer; instead, we focus on the here and now, and the importance of what we’re doing and how important it is. One day, almost everyone will have a beard as cool as Warren Ellis.
International Premiere: Ellis Park – BFI London Film Festival – Saturday 19 October 15:40 – Sunday 20 October 17:15
