Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell
Directed & Produced by Matt Wolf
2008, 72 minutes
Official Site | Watch The Film: iTunes, Amazon, DVD, International
Wild Combination Trailer from Matt Wolf on Vimeo.
WILD COMBINATION is director Matt Wolf’s visually absorbing portrait of the seminal avant-garde composer, singer-songwriter, cellist, and disco producer Arthur Russell. Before his untimely death from AIDS in 1992, Arthur prolifically created music that spanned both pop and the transcendent possibilities of abstract art. Now, over twenty five years since his passing, Arthur's work is finally finding its audience. Wolf incorporates rare archival footage and commentary from Arthur's family, friends, and closest collaborators—including Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg—to tell this poignant and important story. Wild Combination premiered at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival and was distributed in theaters worldwide by Plexifilm and broadcast on the Sundance Channel. It has screened in hundreds of venues, and is now distributed by Oscilloscope Pictures. A 10 year anniversary BluRay DVD was re-released in 2018.
Produced by Kyle Martin & Ben Howe
Cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes
Edited by Lance Edmands
Polari Pictures
Press & Reviews
"Wild Combination, a tender, fascinating documentary will delight the cult and instantly convert new members." - Critic’s Pick, New York Times
"Finely tuned... a remarkably affecting and informative portrait." - Amy Taubin, Film Comment
“A profoundly moving love story.” - Time Out
“One of the finest music documentaries of recent years.” - Sight & Sound
"Shattering, nuanced, and hopeful... A revelation!" - San Francisco Bay Guardian
Guardian Feature
Village Voice Feature
NPR Soundcheck
New Yorker