Musical expression is an enduring creative outlet for artists to share their feelings about the world, and has often been a powerful means for them to connect with their audiences. But certain types of music require a more daring spirit to play than others, and some notes require more courage to sound.

For the Record brings together such bold musical acts from across Asia in a series of documentaries that focuses on a particular breed of musician and the different odds they have to fight against in order to make their music. Moving across several contemporary musical forms and genres―from rock, punk, hip-hop to experimental―we bear witness not only to the personal and artistic struggles of musicians in Asia, but also to the specific cultural, social and political moments of their respective countries. As we navigate the complexities of these societies with every chord, lyric and frame, the act of recording emerges as an act of critical reflection, one that appears increasingly crucial in our time.

Rewired: For the Record will be online for Vimeo On Demand from 24 August to 6 September 2020.

The films in the lineup are:

Sonita (2015), dir. Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami
RocKabul (2018), dir. Travis Beard
Double Bill: Make a Silence: Musical Dialogues in Asia (2019), dir. Barley Norton
Double Bill: Hanoi Eclipse: The Music of Dai Lam Linh (2010), dir. Barley Norton
Anatolian Trip (2018), dir. Anadolu Turnesi
My Buddha Is Punk (ငါ့ဗုဒ္ဓ သည် ပန်ခ်) (2015), Andreas Hartmann
Bamseom Pirates Seoul Inferno (밤섬해적단 서울불바다) (2018), dir. Jung Yoon-suk
Raving Iran (2016), dir. Susanne Regina Meures
Kantata Takwa (2008), dir. Gotot Prakosa & Eros Djarot

Please rent your films via the “Book Now” button located above.

Films will be available for a 48 hour window for USD $3.50 each.