Synopsis
This film is a story about Leo Feigin, an 83-year-old hero who dedicated his life to saving the world’s avant-garde jazz music.
Born in Leningrad, he was only 3 years old when the WW2 started. His father spent fifteen years in Stalin’s Gulag, so Leo and his brother grew up without him. Being a Jewish child, with a Russian "traitor" for a father, Leo had a very special childhood. He was raised by Dimitri, his older brother.
Given the circumstances and a long series of events, his path took an unpredictable course. Slowly, Leo became a citizen of the entire world, as his personal and professional life overcame both physical and emotional borders.
Once a performance athlete, he gradually found his way into the world of jazz.
In 1973, Leo was forced by the KGB to leave the USSR. He spent a few months in Israel, but he soon ran away to London to take a BBC Russian Service job opportunity.
"That was a new chapter. That means to be literally drunk with freedom." - Leo
Unfortunately, this is how the two brothers’ paths have been separated for decades.
Leo started a record label in London. Soon after, he was secretly receiving magnetic tapes from all around the world – the USSR, Japan, Africa, European countries. Therefore, Leo gave life to a camouflaged revolution in the West, which filled the pages of the most important jazz publications.
After 42 years of Leo Records, he has in his catalogue some of the most famous jazz names in the world.
They say a record label is a historical success if it survives for 50 years.
My journey with Leo from the past three years has been and will continue to be an attempt to unravel his life and also to find a way to keep his legacy alive.
As he is also wondering what will happen to his entire archive, Leo and I decided that we will embark on a new journey that will constitute closure for his life, to find a new purpose for this music.
The end of Leo’s journey will only have one goal left: seeing his brother again, who lives in the USA.
Born in Leningrad, he was only 3 years old when the WW2 started. His father spent fifteen years in Stalin’s Gulag, so Leo and his brother grew up without him. Being a Jewish child, with a Russian "traitor" for a father, Leo had a very special childhood. He was raised by Dimitri, his older brother.
Given the circumstances and a long series of events, his path took an unpredictable course. Slowly, Leo became a citizen of the entire world, as his personal and professional life overcame both physical and emotional borders.
Once a performance athlete, he gradually found his way into the world of jazz.
In 1973, Leo was forced by the KGB to leave the USSR. He spent a few months in Israel, but he soon ran away to London to take a BBC Russian Service job opportunity.
"That was a new chapter. That means to be literally drunk with freedom." - Leo
Unfortunately, this is how the two brothers’ paths have been separated for decades.
Leo started a record label in London. Soon after, he was secretly receiving magnetic tapes from all around the world – the USSR, Japan, Africa, European countries. Therefore, Leo gave life to a camouflaged revolution in the West, which filled the pages of the most important jazz publications.
After 42 years of Leo Records, he has in his catalogue some of the most famous jazz names in the world.
They say a record label is a historical success if it survives for 50 years.
My journey with Leo from the past three years has been and will continue to be an attempt to unravel his life and also to find a way to keep his legacy alive.
As he is also wondering what will happen to his entire archive, Leo and I decided that we will embark on a new journey that will constitute closure for his life, to find a new purpose for this music.
The end of Leo’s journey will only have one goal left: seeing his brother again, who lives in the USA.
Articles
1. 6. 2020
Ex Oriente Film 2020 projects revealed
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The Institute of Documentary Film is proud to present 12 documentaries that have been selected for the 18th edition of the Ex Oriente Film workshop out of a record number of 108 submitted projects.
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