Steven Soderbergh will present a gala screening of “Visitors,” the new film from “Koyaanisqatsi” director Godfrey Reggio, at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced on Wednesday.
The film includes a score from Philip Glass, who also composed the music for Reggio’s “Koyaanisqatsi” trilogy. At the TIFF premiere, that score will be performed live by members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
The premiere is the first piece of programming to be announced for this year’s festival, which will run from Sept. 5 through 15.
“I'm thrilled and honoured to act as presenter of Visitors, which is the definition of a must-see event for anyone who loves cinema,” said Soderbergh in a press release from TIFF. “Thirty years after ‘Koyaanisqatsi,’ Godfrey Reggio – with the support of Philip Glass and Jon Kane – once again leapfrogs over us earth-bound filmmakers and creates another stunning, wordless portrait of modern life. It's a bold, beautiful, uniquely moving cinematic experience, and the live orchestra component is the proverbial cherry on top.”
“Visitors” is the fourth collaboration between Reggio (above), Glass (right) and Kane, who also worked together on 1982’s “Koyaanisqatsi,” 1988’s “Powaqqatsi” and 2002’s “Naqoyqatsi,” three acclaimed cult films that set wordless imagery to Glass’ music.
According to the TIFF press release, “‘Visitors’ reveals humanity’s trancelike relationship with technology, which, when commandeered by extreme emotional states, produces massive effects far beyond the human species. The protagonist, a wise gorilla, sagely witnesses the antics of Homo sapiens. The film is visceral, offering the audience an experience beyond information about the moment in which we live.”
The screening will take place on Sunday, Sept. 8 at the Visa Screening Room in the Elgin Theatre.
Soderbergh is currently receiving acclaim for his HBO film "Behind the Candelabra," which premiered at Cannes on Tuesday.
