TORONTO: Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann presented his new film “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” during its world premiere at the Toronto film festival on Saturday.
This project represents a seven-year labour of love dedicated to the King of Rock and Roll.
The film combines concert footage with documentary elements using previously unseen material discovered during research for Luhrmann’s 2022 drama “Elvis”.
Luhrmann’s team accessed Presley’s Graceland family archive and Warner Bros’ storage facilities in Kansas salt mines containing nearly 60 hours of preserved film negatives.
“We’d heard… there may be mythical footage,“ Luhrmann told the Toronto premiere audience.
Some footage had never been printed onto film reels while other segments existed only as poor-quality bootleg recordings.
Luhrmann collaborated with Peter Jackson’s team to undertake an extensive and costly restoration process.
They employed lip-readers to synchronise silent footage with audio from various sources since much material lacked original sound.
The director describes the film not as a documentary but as a “cinematic poem” acknowledging its artistic interpretation.
Certain voices and instruments required re-recording despite using Presley’s original stage vocals wherever possible.
“EPiC” challenges the perception of Presley’s late career by showcasing his performing peak during 1970s Vegas residencies and tours.
“He became if not irrelevant, lost” during his 1960s movie-star period explained Luhrmann.
The film features behind-the-scenes moments showing Presley interacting with singers and covering Beatles songs.
Presley himself narrates the film through previously unreleased interviews and a 50-minute audio recording made during touring.
“We made the decision that we should let Elvis sing and tell his story himself” said Luhrmann.
The project currently lacks a distributor or release date following its standing ovation in Toronto.
Luhrmann revealed he possesses sufficient footage to create a sequel about the uniquely compelling performer. – AFP