Siren Test

A boldly narrated portrait of a wonderful personality, the African-American jazz drummer who, in addition to his pivotal position in jazz, was also a fearless and uncompromising activist. He was inseparable with his wife, singer Abbey Lincoln. This in-depth exploration of Roach's life and work delves into his painful personal struggles and unwavering commitment to community life, justice, and the fight against racism. There is no shortage of his admirers, such as Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte and Questlove. An excellent (and well-paced) lesson in the recent history of African American culture.

How did female celebrities establish themselves in the masculine world of the global music industry? Which female songwriters and singers brought about a defining change, shifted the paradigm and straightened the view of apparent minorities? Which songs about love between two women can you call to mind? Guided clips and film excerpts in a lecture about female punks, hitmakers and outsiders who made it big. Examples include Patti Smith, Yoko Ono, Grace Jones, Arca or Marta Kubišová. The programme is a continuation of Klusák's series for Czech Radio this year.

Merrill Nisker, the pioneering feminist queer icon and musician known as Peaches, is the proud star of this intimate documentary. We follow her concerts, her relationship with her sister Suri, and her creative process on and off stage. Peaches has created a confrontational poetics over the last quarter century, at times taking performance to the edge of what is possible. What does feminism, gender, electronic music and love mean to us? The film is the work of Marie Losier, who has closely followed the transgressive practice of a radical pop figure since The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye.

No one can embody noir elegance in sound like Bristol's Portishead. In the nineties, they only needed to release two albums to redefine trip hop as dreamy chill, a music of anguish and euphoria naturally sampling fragments from soundtracks of yore. We present the British trio's concert at New York's Roseland Ballroom as a special midnight screening in a year that has marked the triumphant reception of singer Beth Gibbons' solo project.

Nyege Nyege Tapes! is probably the most famous label introducing today's African electronica to the European independent scene. A cinematic context now comes to the unique sound. Polish filmmakers went straight to Tanzania to capture how musicians and DJs cultivating the style called singeli live. As Tanzania embarked on the road to capitalism twenty years ago, the film is also a testament to the changes that are shaping Tanzanian society today.

Let's move back to 1999, just before the boom of high-speed internet. Globally watched MTV broadcasts its programme Total Request Live, and a group of friends decide to infiltrate the popularity factory. Chain email as a tool of anarchy and audience power? This charming short film is a guide to consumer disobedience in every era!