A documentary about musician Pete Doherty will have its world premiere at this year’s Zurich Film Festival in the Sounds section.
Described as “an intimate film portrait of his scandalous rockstar life,” “Peter Doherty — Stranger in My Own Skin” is helmed by Doherty’s wife, Katia deVidas. Doherty will present the film in-person, and also perform live following the documentary’s screening.
“The biopic chronicles the British rockstar who, after reaching the pinnacle of his career, sinks into the depths of a serious drug addiction,” ZFF artistic director Christian Jungen said in a statement. “His wife, director and musician Katia deVidas, followed the wild life of the Libertines frontman at close quarters for over 10 years. We’re looking forward to welcoming them both to Zurich.”
The Sounds section of ZFF, which launched last year, showcases feature or documentary films centered on musical themes or that feature exceptional soundtracks. This year’s program will also include a screening of Alexi Bloom’s “Catching Fire — The Story of Anita Pallenberg,” which chronicles the life of the German actress and member of the Rolling Stones’ inner circle via archival footage and a voiceover by Scarlett Johansson.
The section will hold the international premiere of Matthew Mishory’s “Fioretta,” which “follows Randy Schoenberg and his son Joey on a journey through Europe (and the centuries) as they reclaim and reunite the fractured shards of 500 years of family history,” according to its official description. The screening will be accompanied by a performance of Arnold Schönberg’s string sextet “Verklärte Nacht” by an ensemble put together by Johannes Fleischmann. The international premiere of “They Shot the Piano Player,” an animated feature that follows a New York music journalist who “goes on a quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of young Brazilian piano virtuoso Tenorio Jr.”; Janis Pugh’s chicken factory drama “Chuck Chuck Baby”; and U2 doc “Kiss the Future” complete the program.
Zurich Film Festival takes place from Sept. 28 to Oct. 8.
