“Man with a Movie Camera” with live accompaniment by Montopolis

A national tour of arthouse cinemas this spring will partner music group Montopolis with relief organization Bird of Light Ukraine to raise awareness of the refugee crisis in Ukraine.

Montopolis will perform a live score to Man with a Movie Camera, a 1929 silent film depicting life in the cities of Odesa and Kyiv, Ukraine. One of the most influential documentaries ever made, the film recently placed 8th on the Sight and Sound greatest films of all time poll.  The live score by Montopolis has been called “stunning and transcendent” by the Austin Chronicle.

The Bird of Light Ukraine organization has built a humanitarian supply line that sends millions of dollars of goods to the hardest hit parts of Ukraine.  With in-depth knowledge of the region, they can respond quickly to the greatest needs as situations change on the ground, a challenge for larger, more prominent NGOs.  Donations for Bird of Light will be accepted in the lobby at every screening on the tour, and a portion of the proceeds from the entire tour will be donated to support their efforts.

Montopolis is an Austin, Texas based musical ensemble that performs live scores to silent films. Their original score to Man with a Movie Camera toured cinemas throughout the Midwest and Northeast in 2022 at venues like the Music Box Theater in Chicago, the Nitehawk in Brooklyn, and Cornell Cinema in Ithaca, NY.  See below for tour dates and more information about the film and the music group Montopolis.