Serj Tankian is a profoundly international artist – born in Beirut of Armenian heritage, grew up in Los Angeles, now lives in New Zealand – and his fanbase, too, is all around the globe. So it’s completely appropriate that our fan-sourced release of Serj’s movie the Elect the Dead Symphony has gone international. Check out the constantly evolving list of venues.
Thanks in large part to Serj’s own fans, who have suggested screenings and then helped make them happen, Cinema Purgatorio has taken its first bookings ever in Italy and South Africa, with dates in Armenia, Poland, Lebanon, and New Zealand likely coming soon. Meanwhile, some young friends in Brazil have complained about the lack of bookings in Latin America. We don’t like that either. So, let’s make something happen.
That said, our emphasis remains North America, and we’ve taken 19 dates so far across the U.S. And as a New York City company, we’re elated to be screening this symphonic film at the legendary Leonard Nimoy Theatre at Symphony Space.
The kinds of venue are profoundly mixed. In Turin, Italy, we’re showing at the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, while in Chicago we’re screening at Lincoln Hall, a rock club recently constructed from the old Threepenny Cinema, near where John Dillinger was shot.
Meanwhile, we’re also taking orders for copies of the movie and CD, and encourage iTunes buyers to preorder it there.
Such heterogeneity of geography, venue-type, and method is integral to Cinema Purgatorio’s approach. These days, lots of film people issue endless press releases and hold repetitive, self-promotional panels about the new world of distribution and exhibition. Their directives generally include working directly with an internet oriented fanbase, across physical platforms and geographical borders, open to unique screening conditions and adjusting release windows. We’re never on those panels. We’re too busy executing today what the people on those panels prophesy for tomorrow.
If you’re a Serj fan, or just a curious Cinema Purgatorio follower, we hope you’ll check out our list of screenings, and if one’s not near you, consider working with us to set one up. Wherever you are.