{"id":734734,"date":"2026-06-30T11:41:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T11:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/734734\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T11:41:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T11:41:09","slug":"elvis-and-john-lenon-yoko-ono-docs-to-play-at-provence-arts-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/734734\/","title":{"rendered":"Elvis And John Lenon, Yoko Ono Docs To Play At Provence Arts Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tEXCLUSIVE: The Provence Arts Festival du Film<\/a> is readying for its second edition, focused this year on \u201ca celebration of music and musical artists through documentary cinema.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTo that end, the event (renamed from the Dora Maar Film Festival) is programming EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, director Baz Luhrmann\u2019s documentary on the King of Rock n\u2019 Roll, which features \u201cnewly restored performances and rare audio recordings of Elvis Presley reflecting on his life and career.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tCannes chief Thierry Fr\u00e9maux personally selected EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert for the Provence program.<\/p>\n

\n\tElvis will be joined on the festival bill by a former Beatle. One to One: John & Yoko, directed by Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald, also headlines the program announced on Tuesday. Provence Arts Festival du Film will run from July 29 to August 1 in the lovely hilltop village of M\u00e9nerbes, located in the heart of Provence\u2019s Luberon region.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"John<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tJohn Lennon and Yoko Ono in New York in the 70s.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMagnolia Pictures<\/p>\n

\n\tMacdonald (The Last King of Scotland, The Mauritanian, One Day in September) and One to One cinematographer David Katznelson will be in attendance in M\u00e9nerbes.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cA film festival dedicated to music documentaries in the heart of Provence\u2014what\u2019s not to love?\u201d Macdonald said in a statement. \u201cI\u2019m delighted that One to One: John & Yoko will be screening alongside such a strong and varied program, and I am looking forward to discussing the film with audiences in M\u00e9nerbes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMacdonald will also take part in a panel discussion titled \u201cBeyond Biography: Who Gets to Tell an Artist\u2019s Story?\u201d along with fellow panelists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, directors of Broken English. Sophie Rosemont and Mark Kermode will moderate that discussion.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Jane<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tJane Birkin (left) and director Agn\u00e8s Varda during the filming of \u2018Jane B. par Agn\u00e8s V.\u2019<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a9 Sylvie SCALA, SAIF<\/p>\n

\n\tProvence Arts Festival du Film will feature a documentary by a woman synonymous with French cinema (though she hailed from Belgium), the late Agn\u00e8s Varda. Jane B. par Agn\u00e8s V., the filmmaker\u2019s 1988 feature about musician Jane Birkin, will open the festival on Wednesday, July 29.<\/p>\n

\n\tRosalie Varda, daughter of Agn\u00e8s, commented, \u201cI am very happy that Jane B. by Agn\u00e8s V. is opening the Provence Arts Film Festival. This film perfectly embodies the playful and inventive spirit of my mother, Agn\u00e8s Varda, as well as the artistic complicity that united her with the divine Jane Birkin. It naturally finds its place in this edition and shows us the many ways documentary cinema can share the lives and imaginations of two incredibly creative women whose artistic partnership and friendship were exceptional.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"An<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tAn outdoor screening venue of the Provence Arts Festival du Film in M\u00e9nerbes, France.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvence Arts Festival du Film<\/p>\n

\n\tFestival director and curator Lucy Darwin<\/a>, producer of Lost in La Mancha and Match Point, founded the Provence Arts Festival du Film. The inaugural event in 2025 explored the medium of photography through documentary film.<\/p>\n

\n\tSpeaking of this year\u2019s focus, Darwin observed, \u201cMusic offers an extraordinarily rich field for documentary storytelling, revealing not only the creative process but also the cultures, communities and personal journeys that shape artistic expression. This year\u2019s program brings together an exceptional range of films, from acclaimed classics to recent discoveries, spanning genres, generations and musical traditions. Alongside some long-standing personal favorites, I am particularly delighted that we will be welcoming such an outstanding group of filmmakers and guests to M\u00e9nerbes, creating opportunities for audiences to engage directly with the stories behind the films.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Provence<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvence Arts Festival du Film<\/p>\n

\n\tThis is the full lineup of films and panels announced Tuesday:<\/p>\n

\n\tA PROGRAMME CELEBRATING MUSIC AND MUSICIANS<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Jane B. par Agn\u00e8s V. (1988) \u2014 dir. Agn\u00e8s Varda<\/p>\n

\n\tThe celebrated collaboration between Agn\u00e8s Varda and Jane Birkin, blurring the boundaries between portrait, fiction and documentary, will be the Opening Film, introduced by Sophie Rosemont. Rosalie Varda, producer and daughter of Agn\u00e8s Varda, on hand.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Festival is honored that Thierry Fr\u00e9maux has selected Baz Luhrmann\u2019s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (2026) for presentation at this year\u2019s Festival.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (2026) \u2014 dir. Baz Luhrmann<\/p>\n

\n\tA remarkable restoration project built from previously unseen footage discovered in the Warner Bros. archives, featuring newly restored performances and rare audio recordings of Elvis Presley reflecting on his life and career.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Broken English (2026) \u2014 dirs. Jane Pollard & Iain Forsyth [in attendance]<\/p>\n

\n\tThe documentary offers an intimate portrait of music icon Marianne Faithfull, tracing her remarkable six-decade career through music, fame, reinvention and artistic resilience.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Pianomania (2009) \u2014 dir. Robert Cibis [in attendance]<\/p>\n

\n\tAn entertaining and revealing portrait of master piano technician Stefan Kn\u00fcpfer and his quest for perfection alongside some of the world\u2019s greatest pianists.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Nous l\u2019Orchestre (2026) \u2014 dir. Philippe B\u00e9ziat<\/p>\n

\n\tA rare behind-the-scenes journey into the Orchestre de Paris at the Philharmonie de Paris under the direction of Klaus M\u00e4kel\u00e4, offering audiences an immersive experience of music in the making. Editor Henry-Pierre Rosamond will represent the film at the Festival.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 One to One: John & Yoko (2025) \u2014 dir. Kevin Macdonald<\/p>\n

\n\tA revelatory exploration of John Lennon and Yoko Ono\u2019s years in Greenwich Village, featuring previously unseen material and restored concert footage. Director Kevin Macdonald and cinematographer David Katznelson will be in attendance.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Playing the Changes: Tracking Darius Brubeck (2024) \u2014 dir. Michiel Ten Kleij<\/p>\n

\n\tA moving portrait of jazz pianist and educator Darius Brubeck, whose lifelong commitment to musical education and cultural exchange demonstrates the enduring social power of jazz. Film subject Darius Brubeck and director Michiel Ten Kleij will present the film.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Searching for Sugar Man (2012) \u2014 dir. Malik Bendjelloul<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Academy Award-winning story of two South Africans who set out to uncover the fate of the enigmatic musician Rodriguez. Producer George Chignell will be in attendance.<\/p>\n

\n\tRENCONTRES DORA MAAR<\/p>\n

\n\tContinuing the Festival\u2019s connection to M\u00e9nerbes\u2019 artistic heritage, the Rencontres Dora Maar filmmaker conversations will take place ahead of the screenings. These intimate exchanges provide audiences with the opportunity to meet filmmakers, critics and special guests while exploring the themes and stories behind the films.<\/p>\n

\n\tRencontres Dora Maar will take place at the elegant H\u00f4tel de Tingry, while evening screenings will be held beneath the stars in the magnificent Place de l\u2019\u00c9glise at the centre of M\u00e9nerbes.<\/p>\n

\n\tTHURSDAY 30 JULY | 10:30\u201311:30 | H\u00d4TEL DE TINGRY<\/p>\n

\n\tBEYOND BIOGRAPHY: WHO GETS TO TELL AN ARTIST\u2019S STORY?<\/p>\n

\n\tDocumentary biographies come in many forms: collaborative portraits, archival investigations, hybrid works, posthumous accounts and films shaped by the active participation of their subjects. Drawing on examples including One to One: John & Yoko, Broken English and Jane B. par Agn\u00e8s V., this discussion explores how filmmakers represent artists and cultural figures on screen. Considering the role of memory, archive, reconstruction, collaboration and interpretation, participants will examine the creative and ethical challenges of telling a life through cinema \u2014 and ask who gets to shape the stories we tell about artists.<\/p>\n

\n\tPanelists: Kevin Macdonald, Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard. Moderators: Sophie Rosemont & Mark Kermode<\/p>\n

\n\tFRIDAY 31 JULY | 10:30\u201311:30 | H\u00d4TEL DE TINGRY<\/p>\n

\n\tDOCUMENTING MUSICIANS: THE ROLLING STONES AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE MUSIC DOCUMENTARY<\/p>\n

\n\tUsing The Rolling Stones as a case study, this discussion explores the evolution of the music documentary, from the groundbreaking Direct Cinema of Albert and David Maysles\u2019 Gimme Shelter, to films such as Robert Frank\u2019s Cocksucker Blues and Paul Simon: Born at the Right Time. Emmy Award-winning editor and director Susan Steinberg reflects on the challenges of documenting musicians over time. Examining questions of access, authorship, performance and legacy, the panel considers why music documentaries continue to captivate audiences across generations.<\/p>\n

\n\tPanelist: Susan Steinberg. Moderators: Sophie Rosemont & Mark Kermode<\/p>\n

\n\tSATURDAY 1 AUGUST | 10:30\u201311:30 | SALLE DES F\u00caTES<\/p>\n

\n\tFINDING THE MUSIC: THE CREATIVE DIALOGUE BETWEEN DIRECTOR, EDITOR AND COMPOSER<\/p>\n

\n\tHow does music shape the emotional life of a documentary? Through a selection of extracts from the award-winning films of Raoul Peck, composer Alexei Aigui and editor Alexandra Strauss explore the creative relationship between director, editor and composer. Drawing on their collaborations on films including I Am Not Your Negro, Ernest Cole: Lost and Found and Orwell: 2+2=5, they discuss how music is conceived, developed and woven into the storytelling process, revealing the powerful role that sound, silence and rhythm play in shaping the audience experience.<\/p>\n

\n\tPanelists: Alexei Aigui, Alexandra Strauss. Moderator: Mark Kermode<\/p>\n

\n\tLOOKING TO THE FUTURE<\/p>\n

\n\tEach future edition of Provence Arts Festival du Film will focus on a different artistic discipline, exploring the worlds of visual art, performance, fashion, literature, architecture, poetry, dance, design, and the art of food and wine through documentary cinema.<\/p>\n

\n\tWith internationally acclaimed films, distinguished guests and thought-provoking conversations, Provence Arts Festival du Film continues to establish itself as a distinctive cultural event celebrating the arts through the power of documentary cinema.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: The Provence Arts Festival du Film is readying for its second edition, focused this year on \u201ca…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":734735,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[88,316200,206,316201],"class_list":["post-734734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-lucy-darwin","tag-movies","tag-provence-arts-festival-du-film"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=734734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734734\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/734735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=734734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=734734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=734734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}