Courtesy of TIFF, Photo by Elliott Landy
Canadian film Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band will open this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The festival announced this week that the film will be the first time a Canadian-made documentary has opened the prestigious festival. It will open proceedings on 5th September. The documentary is Daniel Roher’s touching tale of Robertson’s young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music, The Band.
The documentary film, directed by Roher (Ghosts of Our Forest), inspired by Robertson’s 2016 memoir, Testimony, tells the moving story of Robertson’s personal journey as he overcame adversity and found camaraderie alongside the four other men who would become his brothers in music, and who together made their mark on music history.
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band blends rare archival footage, photography, iconic songs, and interviews with many of Robertson’s friends and collaborators, including Martin Scorsese, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Peter Gabriel, Taj Mahal, Dominique Robertson, and Ronnie Hawkins.
“This is one of Toronto’s great stories of a hometown hero,” said Bailey, Artistic Director & Co-Head of TIFF on the official press release. “From his early years in this city, to the inspiration he took from life on the Six Nations reserve, to the impact he’s had on generations of music lovers, Robertson emerges in Roher’s film as a truly Canadian-made superstar. In our first year as TIFF’s Co-Heads, Joana and I are thrilled to open the Festival with a Canadian story that speaks to the world.”
This year’s Toronto International Film Festival runs from 5th-15th September. The full line-up will be announced in August.
