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World Fantastic Cinema

The Nomi Song

Andrew HORN

Germany2004 98min 35mm Color

Synopsis

The documentary of Andrew Horn is a self-portrait of a German artist, ‘Clause Nomi', which was painted in oil. He was born in Germany and trained as a tenor of classic opera. He played new wave music in black-and-white clothes and Kabuki make-up. It does not explain all of him. His voice is a sound from the heavens. He used to sing in a small club. Even though the stage was small, he had many high-class fans. He was discovered by David Bowie, and he sang commercial songs before the main show and as a back-up vocal. As he was achieving fame, he fell into an exhausted condition. He died of AIDS, also called gay cancer. He survives in this film. He survives successfully through the interviews of Page Wood, Ann Magnuson and Anthony Scibelli and the library shot. How do you feel watching the life of a genius artist who is buried behind a stage? In my case, the beginning was calm but the last scene shook my mind. It is my favorite film. As an interviewee said, "His song was different, it was a miracle that changed my life." I'm so sorry that I just watched the gem found by the director. The film won the Teddy Award at the 2004 Berlin film festival.

Diretor

Andrew HORN

Andrew Horn, whose junior thesis film at the N.Y University School of the Arts was nominated for an Academy Award, lived in New York as a filmmaker and graphic artist, before he came Berlin in 1989, where he has remained, working as a filmmaker, writer, journalist and film researcher.