*Our screening on Tuesday 25 April will be followed by a Q&A with director Toby Amies.

King Crimson is a band that people literally are dying to be in. In the Court of the Crimson King is a dark, comic film for anyone who wonders whether it is worth sacrificing everything for just a single moment of transcendence. For over 50 years Robert Fripp, also famous for his work with Bowie and Eno, has overseen a unique creative environment in which freedom and responsibility conspire to place extraordinary demands on the band’s members – only alleviated by the applause of an audience whose adoration threatens to make their lives even harder. It’s a rewarding and perilous space in which the extraordinary is possible, nothing is certain, and not everyone survives intact.

The Garden Cinema View:

A music documentary about King Crimson that speaks to an audience beyond (and including) the fanbase. Flirting with mockumentary, In the Court of the Crimson King ultimately transcends the genre by exploring friendship, grief, and the artistic process. Pertinent here are also questions about the role of narcissism in art: did Robert Fripp's perfectionism contribute to King Crimson's success, or did it contribute to a joyless experience and the band's demise? A fun and melancholy watch, like real life.

Cast:
Toby Amies, Andrian Belew, Biff Blumfumgagnge