Kumu Documentary: In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50
Dir Toby Amies
United Kingdom 2022, 86 min
In English, with Estonian subtitles
Introduction by musician and radio host Andres Oja.
What began as a straightforward documentary about the cult rock band King Crimson as it turned 50 mutated into an exploration of time, death, family and the transcendent power of music to change lives. But with humour.
The progressive rock band King Crimson has undergone countless metamorphoses since its inception in 1969, both in terms of musical direction and members. At the centre of this creative chaos is the legendary Robert Fripp, a well-dressed and unpleasant chap who has directed all of the incarnations of King Crimson with an iron fist and master suppression techniques. After five decades at the top of the international music industry, he compares his music-making to an athletic challenge, e.g. practising guitar scales four hours every day. In pursuit of the flawless concert, this pedantic devotion is something he also expects from the rest of the band, who walk on eggshells to avoid clashing with their tyrannical leader.
