The Extraordinary Life Of José González
Swedish musician José González is the subject of a new documentary called The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González, which is starting to meet audiences across Europe as it hits the film festival circuit.
Unabashedly intimate, this documentary about the life and mind of musician José González is all at once gentle, brave and inspiring. The 74-minute film was directed by Mikel Cee Karisson and Fredrik Egerstrand and produced by Erik Hemmendorff for Plattform Produktion. You might recognize the name Karisson, for he has made videos for González, Fever Ray, as well as many other artists. Drawing from various media mediums: video diary, surveillance camera, concert footage, tour documentation and animation, the directors Karlsson and Egerstrand guide the story of something as elusive as the creative process of one of Sweden’s finest – and most secretive – musicians.
Following González through scenes shot during work on his second album, In Our Nature. Passages from his personal diary and voice recordings find us following his everyday reflections: from thoughts on a photon’s path from the sun, to our eyes, to Darwinism, to the struggle to write songs.
Exploring universal themes such as loneliness, boredom and isolation, The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González gives us insight into one person’s attempt to manage and understand his own existence.
Shot over a three-year period on location in Sweden, Japan, Singapore, United States, South Africa, England, Chile and Argentina, he brings along with him on a beautiful and melodic journey.
