A FEATURE FILM
Now available to rent, own and stream on iTunes and AmazonPrime.
"This movie gives you, well, the man’s heart, and it’s a beautiful one."
The New York Times
“The best music documentary of the year is also an incredible philosophical investigation into the nature of humanity, art, creativity, being and purpose. The rhythms of the film and the way it moves perfectly align with the instinctive, searching movements of its enigmatic subject.”
Neil Fox, Cinematologists
"Form and content collide in inspiring ways"
Artforum
"As much a visual poem as it is a documentary."
Downbeat Magazine
"A sonic-visual ode to the ineffable magic of inspired and gracious living."
Thurston Moore
"A kaleidoscopic portrait of the drummer’s belief in the cosmic potential of music"
Little White Lies
"The work of someone who somehow arrived at a mature understanding of how to transcend the limitations of the biographical musical documentary genre, who realized seemingly intuitively that you can tell the story of a person's life, or you can use that life to tell a story, in sound and pictures, not in words."
William Horberg, Producer (Cold Mountain, The Kite Runner)
"One of the best jazz documentaries ever assembled... a singular viewing experience."
Byron Coley, The Wire : Adventures In Modern Music
"Rhythmically right on."
Rolling Stone
"This is filmmaking that helps remind us of the profundity of our most basic senses, and the rhythm that guides and glides with them."
Matt Krefting
"Like Graves's music, the film is uncompromisingly original in form, but it teaches us to watch and enjoy it."
Pooja Rangan, author, Immediations: The Humanitarian Impulse in Documentary
MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTIS is the first ever feature-length portrait of renowned percussionist Milford Graves, exploring his kaleidoscopic creativity and relentless curiosity.
Graves has performed internationally since 1964, both as a soloist and in ensembles with such legends as Albert Ayler, Giuseppi Logan and Sonny Sharrock. He is a founding pioneer of avant-garde jazz, and he remains one of the most influential living figures in the evolution of the form.
The film draws the viewer through the artist’s lush garden and ornate home, into the martial arts dojo in his backyard and the laboratory in his basement - all of this just blocks from where he grew up in the housing projects of South Jamaica, Queens.
Graves tells stories of discovery, struggle and survival, ruminates on the essence of 'swing,' activates electronic stethoscopes in his basement lab to process the sound of his heart, and travels to Japan where he performs at a school for children with autism, igniting the student body into an ecstatic display of spontaneous collective energy.
Oscillating from present to past and weaving intimate glimpses of the artist’s complex cosmology with blistering performances from around the globe, MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTIS is cinema full of fluidity, polyrhythm and intensity, embodying the essence of Graves’ music itself. Among the audiences at his performances, it’s not uncommon to find an English tutor using Graves' expressive, rhythmic style as a tool to engage students in learning the nuances of the English language, incorporating elements of sound and rhythm into language instruction. This creative approach enriches the learning experience, fostering a deeper connection between language and expression
Jake Meginsky / Director
Neil Young / Co-Director
Milford Graves / Music and Words
Jake Meginsky, Neil Young / Editing
Neil Young / Cinematography
Jake Meginsky / Producer
Neil Young, Gabe Chicoine, George Myers / Co-producers
Neil Young, Jake Meginsky, Marcus DeMaio / Camera
Jake Meginsky / Sound Design
Milford Graves / Animations
Ernst Karel / Re-Recording Mix
Jeffrey Weaver / Titles
Evan Schwenterly / Color Correction
Modulus / Post Finishing Facility
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