Event

20,000 Days on Earth @ SLIFF

"20,000 Days on Earth" explores how myth, memory, love, and loss have shaped the life of musician Nick Cave. Taking its title from a line in his songwriting notebook -- a calculation of how many days he's been alive -- the film delves deeply into Cave's artistic processes, fusing drama and documentary to weave a cinematic day-in-the-life that includes a provocative session with a psychoanalyst and a fascinating journey through the Cave archives. In addition to conversations between Cave and regular musical collaborator Warren Ellis, "20,000 Days on Earth" sets up intriguing car-based encounters between Cave and key figures in his life: actor Ray Winstone; former Bad Seed Blixa Bargeld; and "Where the Wild Roses Grow" duet partner Kylie Minogue. Along the way, Cave performs music both new and old. The LA Times' Kenneth Turan observes: "This examination of the whys and wherefores of indie rock star Nick Cave is an unusual and nonformulaic cinematic enterprise and an adventurous film by any standard."