The Past is a Grotesque Animal, a feature-length documentary about of Montreal and its wildly prolific bandleader Kevin Barnes, will premiere with a nationwide screening tour starting this June.
The documentary details the life of Barnes and of Montreal's rise as he continues on the often-troubled, overly bizarre and altogether brilliant artistic journey that's consumed his adult life. Composed of footage taken from the band's circus-like live shows, studio recording sessions and personal interviews, the documentary offers some brutally candid insight into Barnes' artistic obsession and the consequent suffering that comes along with it.
"People can throw it on at a party, move to it, but when you listen to it, it's a man, like, in a dark plea for his own sanity," says an unnamed interviewee in the movie's trailer, which you can watch below.
"There's an image presented to the world. Behind that, there are a lot of contradictions, a lot of cruelties," says another.
The Past is a Grotesque Animal gets its official release on June 24 via iTunes and other digital media platforms. Before that, the doc will be taken on a screening tour through cities across the U.S. Athens is, unfortunately, the closest it comes to the Tampa Bay area, although of Montreal will be stopping at State Theatre in St. Petersburg (and staging one of their outrageously vibrant live shows) next Tues., May 6 (reserve tickets here). Pre-order the film and learn more about it right here.
The Past is a Grotesque Animal screening tour dates:
06-15 Dallas, TX - Texas Theatre
06-16 Austin, TX - Alamo Ritz
06-19 Santa Fe, NM - CCA
06-19 San Diego, CA - Gaslamp
06-19 Sacramento, CA - Tower
06-19 Honolulu, HI - Ward
06-19 Fairfax, VA - Angelika Mosaic
06-19 Plano, TX - Angelika Film Center
06-19 Nashville, TN - Belcourt
06-19 Columbus, OH - Gateway Film Center
06-20 Ft. Wayne, IN - Cinema Center
06-20 San Francisco, CA - Roxie
06-20 New York, NY - IFC Center
06-20 Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater
06-20 Boston, MA - The Brattle
06-25 Chicago, IL - Music Box
06-25 Tucson, AZ - Loft
06-26 Los Angeles, CA - New Beverly
06-27 Athens, GA - Cine
06-27 Atlanta, GA - The Plaza