Blues Run the Game: the Strange Tale of Jackson C. Frank

France2023documentary84'Międzynarodowy konkurs DocFilmMusic (2024)

A story of a great revelation and mysterious disappearance. In 1965, Jackson C. Frank, a folk singer, assisted by Paul Simon, had already recorded his only album, which influenced many American and British folk musicians. Nevertheless, he was unable to defeat the demons haunting him since childhood. The film shows the artist’s emotional landscape shaped by his personal tragedies, physical disability and mental disease. The hints can be found in his songs, favorite places and the memories of people who knew him.

directed by
Damien Aimé Dupont, portret reżysera
Damien Aimé Dupont

After a master degree in cinema, Damien aimé Dupont made “Jean Rollin: The Stray Dreamer”, a portrait of a poet who created his very own dreamworld, famous in the world for his vampire movies with nude women wandering in graveyards. Then, Damien directed “A Story of French Fantasy Cinema” (co-produced by a French channel TV) from Georges Méliès to “Raw” by Julia Ducournau. Fascinated by Jackson C. Frank, an enigmatic musician, he decided to dedicate him his new documentary. It remains of this man only 12 seconds of footage, a few songs and photos. Thus began a real investigation on this tragic destiny.

cinematography
Etienne Grosbois, Kyle Leclaire, Thomas Vanhoecke
script
Damien Aimé Dupont
animated by
Dimitri Dupont, Aurélien Lafon
music
Clovis Labarrière
editing
Damien Aimé Dupont, Mildred Warin
production
Damien Aimé Dupont, Vincent Villeneuve (Burning Rooster Productions)
Photo
Kadr z filmu Blues Run the Game: the Strange Tale of Jackson C. Frank