MORRISONHENDRIXJOPLIN

MORRISON

HENDRIX

JOPLIN

A T H E A T R I C A L D O C U M E N T A R Y

Written and Directed by

Produced by

STUART SAMUELS

SANDRA CUNNINGHAM

“27” is a theatrical documentary about the end of the sixties and how the events of 1969, 1970 and 1971 sent ripples of fear through a generation raised on peace, love, harmony and happy endings.

As if on an historical cue, a new decade dawned and a new force and culture emerged.

It was a period of political division over the war in Vietnam and the rise of mass protests at home; mixed with the spread of student revolts and black power violence.

It was a time of profound events that are etched into our collective memories - Nixon, Man on the Moon, Charles Manson, Woodstock, Altamont, My Lai Massacre, Black Panthers, Kent State, J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI, the End of The Beatles, the Pentagon Papers.

A new culture triumphed, one based on power not peace, fear not love, political control not natural harmony, conflict not happy endings. It was a time of rising social tyranny and increasing governmental repression, where Nixon’s “silent majority” silenced the subversive slogans and the mass protests of the young. Police power replaced flower power. The “WE” generation became a “ME” generation.

It was a period when pop culture became big business, when mass concerts became defining historical events, when musicians became Gods, and fans turned into a frenzied army of fame fanatics.

“27” uses the lives of three rock and roll icons, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, as the narrative center around which to tell the story of a generation in retreat and a culture overcome by fear and loathing. Between September 1970 and July 1971, all three artists succumbed to untimely and accidental deaths.

The title “27” refers both to the fact that all three icons died at that young age, as well as the idea that, like their vibrant lives, the 60’s counterculture movement was cut short during its infancy.

“27” will use the words and music of these music legends---joined together through news archives and original interviews with people who were there; family, friends, fellow musicians, rock critics, managers, teachers, and lovers. Jimi, Janis and Jim will tell their own stories and the story of the times, in their own words.

“27” tells the story through the legendary live music performances, high profile arrests and jury trials, record releases, live TV appearances, recorded private interviews, news archives, home movies, poems, letters, drawings, press conferences and the mountain of print that recorded their lives in exhaustive detail, freezing their iconic images in time and place.

“27” is a powerful mix of rock music, pop culture and political intrigue, weaving together the actual words, acts, and musical performances of these three rock icons within the dramatic historical context of their tumultuous life and times.

“27” bring the story of our Nation’s past to an audience who is entrusted with shaping its future.

DRAFT DODGER PRODUCTIONS, THEATRE D DIGITAL, STUART SAMUELS PRODUCTIONS AND STRADA FILMS PRESENT "27"

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY STUART SAMUELS, PRODUCED BY SANDRA CUNNINGHAM AND BRAD FOX WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF TELEFILM CANADA, THE CANADIAN

BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AND ROGERS MEDIA

27 - KEY PERSONNEL OVERVIEW

Writer / Director / Co-Producer – Stuart SamuelsStuart Samuels is an acclaimed television producer, writer, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. His works explore the relationship of popular culture to the broader historical context of their times.

Stuart’s first feature documentary, VISIONS OF LIGHT: The Art of Cinematography, (1993), which he produced and co-directed, was selected as “Best Documentary” of 1993 by the New York, Boston and National Film Critics. A survey of 40 major film critics named it “the most critically acclaimed film of 1993.” It was selected for the Cannes, Edinburgh, London, Telluride, Toronto, New York, Tokyo and Sundance film festivals.

Stuart began his career first in academia. He has a Ph.D from Stanford University (1967), did post-graduate work at Oxford University (St. Antony’s College) and was a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), from 1968 to 1981, where he pioneered the teaching of cultural history using feature films from around the world.

Leaving academia in 1981, Stuart turned from theory to practice joining ATI VIDEO, to both write and produce the groundbreaking late-night music video series NIGHTFLIGHT, (1981-86), for the USA NETWORK, described by TV GUIDE as “the most entertaining late night show on cable TV…”

In 1986, Stuart teamed up with the Academy Award winning Polish film and music video director Zbig Rybczynski (ZBIG VISION), to produce the first works in the US to use High Definition (HD), including music videos for Herb Alpert, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Supertramp. THE ORCHESTRA, made for PBS, won an Emmy for Best Visual Effects (1989), the L’Prix Italia (1990) and the Grand Prize at Tokyo’s International Electronic Film Festival (1990).

After the success of VISIONS OF LIGHT, Stuart co-directed and co-wrote the award-winning documentary, HOLLYWOODISM: Jews, Movies and the American Dream, based on the book by Neal Gabler. Stuart was named Best Feature Documentary director at HOT DOCS (1998) and HOLLYWOODISM was named Best Documentary at the 1998 Jerusalem Film Festival.

His latest feature documentary, MIDNIGHT MOVIES: From The Margin to the Mainstream (2006), is based on Stuart’s 1993 book MIDNIGHT MOVIES. A look at the phenomena of cult films in the 1970’s the film had its world premiere as an Official Selection (Out of Competition), at the 2005 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL, It was also selected as the opening night film at SILVERDOC’S 2005.

Stuart is a dual US and Canadian citizen, and president of Stuart Samuels Productions in Toronto, Canada.

Producer – Sandra CunninghamThe founder of Strada Films, Sandra Cunningham is one of Canada’s most accomplished film producers. Recently she co-produced a series of high profile international feature films with such renowned directors as Atom Egoyan (Ararat, Where the Truth Lies), Norman Jewison (The Statement), Istvan Szabo (Being Julia), and Jeremy Podeswa (Fugutive Pieces). Her films have screened at dozens of major international film festivals, and won or been nominated for Genie, BAFTA, Critic’s Circle, Golden Globe, and Academy Awards.

Producer – Brad FoxJoining Strada Films in 2000, Brad Fox brings his background producing for film, television, and new media to the company. As head of the new media and development company Rocket Ace Moving Pictures Brad has produced numerous dramatic, new media, and music video projects including the pioneering Internet-based cult series Dead End Days, which played for over three years in more than 32 countries.

Head Researcher – Helen PrancicA graduate of York University, specializing in art history, art criticism and integrated media communications. Helen has been developing and managing design directives and story-based content for film, television and media projects in academic and entertainment industries since 1998.

Visual Researcher – Monica PennerAn accomplished visual and music researcher, Monica has worked on dozens of films and television series for networks such as National Geographic, History Television, TVO, CBC, and History Channel UK.

Interview Coordinator – Maxine BassMaxine Bass has a wide range of experience in both the broadcast and independent sector. Her 30 year television career has spanned working as producer, director, senior producer, and commissioning editor for major Canadian and American broadcasters including CBC, PBS, CTV, YTV, WTN, and Discovery Canada on award winning shows such as The Great American Dream Machine, As it Happens, the 5th Estate, and Discovery.ca.

ABOUT DRAFT DODGER PRODUCTIONS INC.

A Canadian (Ontario) Corporation, Draft Dodger Productions Inc. was founded in 2005 with an initial commitment of philanthropic capital by its founder Geoff Pickering. Mr. Pickering is committed to the notion of a truly democratic, open and diverse society, the society Canada has long aspired to become.

The Company exists solely to identify and fund documentary film projects that will help exemplify to the world that uniquely Canadian proposition: that is not collective expression but rather a collective of individual perspectives, opinions and expressions that underpins true democracy. It is this which identifies Canada’s unique position in the worlds socio-political order.

The Company’s name is derived from its founder’s experience of attending the University of Toronto during the turbulent late 1960’s and early 1970’s when tens of thousands of American intellectuals, artists, poets and writers sought political refuge in Canada, pouring into our nation’s cities and towns. Many flourished and have made significant contributions to Canada.

Canada’s powerful history of recognizing and protecting individual rights assures all citizens and immigrants of the fundamental freedoms now enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Documentary films like “27” and others to come will help promote and maintain this distinct reality.

The 60’s and 70’s were a time of massive political upheaval in the context of a global tug of war amongst the imperialistic super powers. It was the time of the Cold War, Kent State, Martin Luther King II, the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall. It was also a time of cultural upheaval, new artistic freedom and the emergence of popular icons that would define music for decades to come (Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez). Through all this Canada was, as it is today, a nation that embraced and promoted peace, freedom and individual opportunity.

The world must come to see that the end rarely justifies the means; that one cannot instill create or invoke Democracy through the barrel of a gun.

In this light “27” is a story that Draft Dodger Productions Inc. is honoured to help bring to the mainstream.