Ornette: Made in America

Shirley Clarke's 1985 film is far more than an ordinary biography; it is a visual and acoustic experiment that does justice to the radical aesthetics of its protagonist.

The film interweaves archive footage, interview scenes and concert recordings to create a dense portrait of saxophonist Ornette Coleman, the pioneer of free jazz. The focus is on the opening of the Caravan of Dreams in Fort Worth, Coleman's home town. Clarke uses innovative editing techniques and video effects to translate Coleman's theory of "harmolodics" into film. It becomes clear how Coleman broke social boundaries and musical conventions. The film shows him not only as a musician, but also as a visionary thinker whose influence still reverberates in the avant-garde today. A visual and acoustic experience that perfectly captures the spirit of improvisation.