WINTERSONG - A FILM ON DAKOTA SUITE
Schweiz 2006 – Director: Pascal Hofmann, Benny Jaberg – Original language: Dutch, English – Subtitles: German – Length: 51 min.
Under an overcast sky, in the darkened grounds of Everton FC, Chris Hooson plays a tender melody. In his darkest times, he dedicated a gentle hymn to his team, in recognition of the sense of belonging they provided him with as a child. He has now found happiness in family, and in this film we follow him and his band, Dakota Suite, through the cities of his past, from his youth in Holland, where he felt an outsider, to the sparse Northwest coast of England. His haunting past pervades Hooson's work, as fragile as life itself.
In Wintersong, the songwriter talks about his family, musical work, and day job as a prison social. His mournful music and the melancholy lyrics are combined with vivid imagery, an illustration of the close relationship between art and everyday life. This is a compelling, lyrical music documentary, giving an insight into what inspires this exceptional musician, soaked in the serene atmosphere of Dakota Suite's songs.Award: Special Mention, "Visions du réel" 2006, Nyon
Writer: Pascal Hofmann, Benny Jaberg. Camera: Pascal Hofmann, Benny Jaberg, Markus Heiniger. Sound: Pascal Hofmann, Benny Jaberg, Markus Heiniger. Editing: Pascal Hofmann, Benny Jaberg. Music: Dakota Suite. Production: Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Zürich. Producer: Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Zürich.
