Big River Blues
A Michael Almereyda Film
"Mark Twain's romance of the Mississippi inflamed my adolescent imagination. I came to America partly to be near the "mighty Mississippi." I now live next to it and with it and I see reflected in the river all my anxieties and the anxieties of America. The Mississippi is the yardstick by which this nation once measured its progress. The story of this river is the story of America: the literature of the river is almost as immense as the river itself. Yet, the story of the river remains, like America, elusive, paradoxical, and unfinished. In Big River Blues, we will tell her story again, with all the lore and textures and blues she's acquired since anyone looked hard and lovingly at her tormented majesty." — Andrei Codrescu
At a time when the feature-length documentary has firmly established itself as a force at the box office, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Almereyda and celebrated humorist, poet and pundit Andrei Codrescu are embarking upon a unique journey of discovery along the entire length of the Mississippi River---creating an edgy and exciting new feature film that promises to strike a deep chord with audiences eager for meaningful, thought-provoking entertainment at the Cineplex.
The next great American story, Big River Blues shines a new light on the magnificent waterway that is our greatest river. The Mississippi: dividing line of the country, power source, mega-highway, drainpipe; the lowest, deepest channel that can separate or bring us together. The River will be Codrescu's co-star.
Master social commentator Codrescu will share his fabled wisdom and wit, at once sympathetic and razor-sharp, seeking out the good, the bad and everything in between, all with an eye to taking the pulse of contemporary America as he travels its main artery. The unfolding story of the destruction of his beloved New Orleans by hurricane Katrina has become part of our film, revealing much about our frailty in the face of nature's power, exposing both the best and the worst in human behavior.
Director Michael Almereyda is a distinct and powerful voice in American cinema, with more than 11 produced titles behind him, he has a particular love for the documentary. The Washington Post credits him with "a great sense of postmodern comic inflection" and with "Cocteau's sense of film as a magic plaything." Joining his unique talents with the razor sharp wit and blazing intelligence of celebrated humorist, Codrescu, has all the earmarks of a marriage made in movie goers' heaven.
Codrescu doesn't just interview---he interacts, diving in to situations, becoming part of them—and the results can be wildly humorous or painfully serious, or some combination of the two, but always thought-provoking and revealing in often unforeseeable ways. He'll take on the polluters, the politicos, the saints and the sinners providing us with a look in the mirror as reflected by the River and those who live on its shores.
The musical soundtrack will have a life of its own. Drawing on a legacy of blues greats, from Robert Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt, and Honey Boy Edwards, to the work of top contemporary artists, the compilation CD presents an inspired anthology, emblematic of the diverse world of music that the river has inspired and nurtured for more than 200 years. The soundtrack gives a voice to the song of the river, its people, and its stories.
Multiple-award winners on the crew include Brian Doubleday as Producer and Rich Lerner as Director of Photography. Columbus Baker, former Senior Producer and Director of Development for the Hallmark Entertainment Networks is Executive Producer.
After theatrical release of Big River Blues, the producers will secure broadcast and cable television distribution and release to the home video and DVD markets. There is a substantial audience to be reached across America and around the world, who will discover Codrescu's gift for unexpected, mind-bending observation of all things American through this film.
