Counted among the most prolific directors of our times, Paul Thomas Anderson has signed a deal with an online ‘video on demand’ platform, Mubi for his new documentary ‘Junun’. The director is said to be a big fan of the rock band Radiohead and the subject he chose for his documentary is the band itself. The documentary will see the Radiohead musician Jonny Greenwood on a trip to India. Now, interesting collaboration this is, we must say. As one of the most awesome bands of contemporary times and a brilliant director collaborates on something that is musical in its essence, something amazingly terrific is awaiting us, we must admit.
The documentary film will be shown on the said platform after it gets over with its premier in the New York Film Festival which is one of the most reputed film festivals across the globe. Mubi is in the news recently for signing a deal after deals and this one is a biggie. Getting a big name such as Anderson is no easy job but they have managed it somehow and now, the world waits as Paul’s movie is getting its exclusive worldwide release on a paid video sharing platform. Excitement overload!
Now the question arises, what in the world is in the documentary getting the viewers crazy excited? It tells the story of director’s close friend and frequent collaborator Jonny Greenwood, who also happens to be the guitar player for the band Radiohead, and an Israeli musician Shye Ben Tzur as they embark on a journey to the Indian state of Rajasthan. In a 15th-century fort in Jodhpur, they build a makeshift studio and, along with a group of musicians from across the Indian sub-continent, work on Ben Tzur’s new album. So, top musicians from three most ‘musical’ countries together working on a single album and that too with an ace director such as Paul Thomas Anderson documenting them as they go. That is too much awesomeness for us to handle eh!
‘Junun’ will be having its exclusive worldwide premiere on Mubi on Oct. 9 following its opening at the New York Film Festival a day earlier.”We’re huge fans of Mubi and wanted to be a part of what they do,” said Anderson. “Hopefully people will discover both the music that’s been made by Shye and Jonny and a great place to watch films.”
Mubi founder and CEO Efe Cakarel added: “The founding vision of Mubi was to build a place where a director such as Paul Thomas Anderson could premiere a unique film like Junun. To be here today is not only an honor and a significant milestone but a realization of everything we dreamed of in the beginning.”
The announcement was made after recent multi-year licensing arrangements with Paramount and Sony and Mubi’s first theatrical deal, which will see Miguel Gomes’ Cannes-bowing three-parter ‘Arabian Nights’ land in U.K. cinemas. Speaking to THR last month Cakarel revealed that the company would be making similar acquisitions going forward.
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