Frank Sidebottom, remembered fondly as the man with the papier mache head, was the court jester of the Manchester music and comedy scene for over 25 years but only a privileged few knew the man inside.
Being Frank tells a twisted tale of split personalities – a suburban creative superhero with a fanatical desire to preserve the myth he created, and eventually having to battle against being consumed by his alter ego.
Working from Sievey’s own exhaustive self-documentation (old cassettes, degraded video) and deftly incorporating interviews with loved ones and admirers (including former band members DJ Mark Radcliffe and Frank’s co-screenwriter Jon Ronson), director Steve Sullivan assembles a compelling portrait of a mercurial, often tortured artist with a chequered private life.
Ahead of the national release on Friday 29th March, special screening events are being lined up in Frank’s hometown of Timperley as well as a special preview screening at HOME on Friday 8th March including an introduction and Q&A by director Steve Sullivan.
Hamish Moseley, Head of Distribution at Altitude Films said; “Fans of Frank Sidebottom will be thrilled to see Chris for the first time within such a goldmine of previously unseen footage. And those yet to discover the delights of this incredible outsider artist are in for a hilarious and very moving 100mins. This film is magic; you know it is, it really is.”
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Preview
Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story + Intro and Q&A
Venue: HOME
Date: Friday 8th March
Time: 20:40
Cost: £9.00
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HOME, Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN
0161 200 1500
www.homemcr.org
