Man with a Movie Camera

Montopolis will perform a live score to Man with a Movie Camera, a 1929 silent film depicting life in the cities of Odesa and Kyiv, Ukraine. One of the most influential documentaries ever made, the film recently placed 8th on the Sight and Sound greatest films of all time poll. The live score by Montopolis has been called “stunning and transcendent” by the Austin Chronicle.
The Bird of Light Ukraine organization has built a humanitarian supply line that sends millions of dollars of goods to the hardest hit parts of Ukraine. With in-depth knowledge of the region, they can respond quickly to the greatest needs as situations change on the ground, a challenge for larger, more prominent NGOs. Donations for Bird of Light will be accepted in the lobby at every screening on the tour, and a portion of the proceeds from the entire tour will be donated to support their efforts.

Montopolis is an Austin, Texas based musical ensemble that performs live scores to silent films. Their original score to Man with a Movie Camera toured cinemas throughout the Midwest and Northeast in 2022 at venues like the Music Box Theater in Chicago, the Nitehawk in Brooklyn, and Cornell Cinema in Ithaca, NY. See below for tour dates and more information about the film and the music group Montopolis.

Revered as a visual masterpiece and one of the greatest documentaries ever made, Man with a Movie Camera gives historical context to the current Russian invasion and lays bare the costs of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. Composer Justin Sherburn’s joyful original score celebrates the beauty and resilience of Ukraine’s people and aims to inspire American audiences to support the country in its time of need.

The grandson of Romanian immigrants, Montopolis pianist and composer Justin Sherburn has a personal investment in the history and culture of Eastern Europe. His original score incorporates indie rock, extended techniques, and traditional Ukrainian folk melodies. According to Sherburn (whose Ashkenazi family name is Shapiro), the work is “an exercise in the power of music to undermine a film’s intention.” Man with a Movie Camera was commissioned by the Soviet regime under Joseph Stalin to showcase the might of industry in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa. The composer’s romantic score transforms a nationalistic propaganda film into a celebration of the human spirit, emphasizing the humanity of the Ukrainian people over the industrial prowess of the Soviet Union.