MOVIE | Red Bull Music Academy Premieres Feature-Length Documentary Globally for Free
MOVIE | Red Bull Music Academy Celebrates 15th Anniversary!
Feature-Length Documentary by Acclaimed German Director
Now Streaming for Free: 'What Difference Do It Make? A Film About Making Music'
The Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA), a global institution that supports young, talented artists, has reached its 15th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, acclaimed German film director Ralf Schmerberg has created a feature-length documentary, 'What Difference Do It Make? A Film About Making Music,' set against the backdrop of RBMA. A Japanese subtitled version will be available for free streaming on the official RBMA Japan website starting Tuesday, February 18th.
Text by YANAKA Tomomi
Capturing the Challenges of Life in Music and the Musician's Journey
Since its inception in 1998, the Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) has hosted festivals, workshops, and lectures annually in cities worldwide, including Berlin, London, Melbourne, Madrid, and New York. This autumn, Tokyo is also slated to host an RBMA event, fostering the emergence of avant-garde and creatively driven creators.
Brian Eno
Erykah Badu
Q-Tip
Richie Hawtin
The faculty includes renowned producers and musicians such as rapper Q-Tip, reggae legend Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Participants, selected from thousands of applicants worldwide, engage in various programs alongside these distinguished instructors.
RBMA has already produced talents like LA beatmaker Flying Lotus and Stones Throw's flagship artist Aloe Blacc. Japan has also seen emerging artists like Akiko Akiyama, sauce81, and Hiroaki OBA rise through the program.
And to commemorate RBMA's 15th anniversary, this feature-length documentary, 'What Difference Do It Make? A Film About Making Music,' was created. Directed by Ralf Schmerberg, a recipient of the Gold Lion and the Peace Prize of the Film Festival at Cannes, the film was shot during RBMA events in New York last year. It portrays the lives of rapper Rakim, musician Erykah Badu, and DJ Richie Hawtin, among others, while capturing the challenges faced by those who live through music.
Through the lens of director Ralf Schmerberg, known for his unique perspective, this film transcends music to explore universal questions about life itself. What does it truly mean to live as a musician? What does it take to be a top performer? This documentary invites us to seek the answers.
'What Difference Do It Make? A Film About Making Music'
Streaming begins February 18th (Tuesday)
Director | Ralf Schmerberg
Starring | Brian Eno, Erykah Badu, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Nile Rodgers, Q-Tip, Rakim, Richie Hawtin, and more
Runtime | 90 minutes
Red Bull Music Academy Official Website
http://www.redbullmusicacademy.jp/jp/home/