Hot and Covered...Sounds Like Teen Spirit

" A Popumentary "

-Sounds Like Teen Spirit

Kids always make great subjects for a documentary, not only because of the potential for exploring the parent-child relationship, but also because they wear their emotions on their sleeves and, well, let’s face it… kids say the darndest things! (For some great examples of cool docs about kids, check out Jay’s previous list of Five Films about Kids.) Seeing kids and teenagers in competitions can make for an even more compelling watch, which is why I’m excited about Jamie Jay Johnson’s Sounds Like Teen Spirit.

The movie follows four kids from ages 10 to 15 as they take part in the Junior Eurovision Songwriting Contest. It’s like Spellbound meets Rock School, but with an international flavour. Clearly the many different personalities and backgrounds come into play here, but like all competition documentaries, I can only hope it culminates in a tense nail-biting finale. The movie is currently playing in select theatres in the U.K., but unfortunately there no word on a North American release as of yet. After seeing the trailer, I now regret missing it at the Toronto Film Festival last year. Check out the trailer for Sounds Like Teen Spirit below, and visit the official website for more info.

MONOCLE

NEWS REPORT

Sounds Like Teen Spirit, Jamie Jay Johnson's warm and witty documentary following four contestants in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, is a sure contender as one of the strongest factual films of 2009. Monocle's Robert Bound met Johnson in London to talk tunes, childhood and bloc-voting.

Sounds Like Teen Spirit

Credits

Producer: Gillian Dobias
Interviewer: Robert Bound
Camera: Sam Mitchell
Editing: Aleksander Solum

IT'S EUROVISION...BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT

James King, Radio 1
"You'll Laugh. You'll Cry.
You'll Sing-a-long.
a brilliant, brilliant film"



Martha Delacey, London Lite
"Simply the most
wonderful movie
I've seen since
Slumdog Millionaire"



Dennis Harvey, Variety
“Just the right mix of affection
and amusement…irresistible
crowd pleaser…delightful”

Ellen Eastward, Shooting People
“Whole audience loved it!
Really captures the spirit of the
kids”

Elke De Pourq, CuttingEdge.be
“Very funny and moving…
stole our hearts”

Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star.

“Fresh and original… part of
a new generation of filmmakers
well worth watching”

Synopsis

‘Sounds Like Teen Spirit’ is the warmly comic story of childhood, innocence, teen-dreams and singing off-key.

Marrying the affectionate indie humour of ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ with the charm and emotion of ‘Stand by Me’, ‘Sounds Like Teen Spirit’ follows the journey of 4 loveable-losers to the world’s largest children’s song-writing contest including all the foibles of growing up along the way.

Featuring music by ABBA, Roxy Music, The Who, Henri Mancini and Belgium’s infamous Singing Nun ‘Sounds Like Teen Spirit’ celebrates the underdog spirit of heroic amateurism in what Variety describes as an ‘irrestistible crowd pleaser… delightful’.

MoviePic writes how Teen Spirit ‘leaves you all teary and tenderhearted’ and IndiePix called it ‘the hit of the festival’, following its Toronto Premiere.

‘Sounds Like Teen Spirit’ is directed by BAFTA, Broadcast and Gierson nominated ‘best new director’ Jamie J Johnson and produced by British indie veterans Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley.

… A star is Bjorn

A UK Film Council presentation, in association with Aramid Entertainment, C4 British Documentary Film Foundation, of an Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley, Number 9 Films production, in association with Audley Films
Produced by Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley. Executive Producers Jess Search, Maxyne Franklin, Simon Fawcett, Paul White. Co-Producer Kate Lawrence. Directed by Jamie J Johnson.

"...the film is a tender message of hope and perseverance that is sure to leave a smile on your face and catchy Europop songs in your head. Recommended for ages 13+."

-the portastylistic