Following his acclaimed work with Downloaded and Deep Web, Alex Winter is sticking with the documentary format for another upcoming project. He'll direct an as-yet untitled film about the legendary counter-culture musician Frank Zappa{
The absurdly prolific Zappa made almost 70 albums in less than 35 years, before his untimely death in 1993. His music is difficult to describe - and often just downright difficult - but takes in jazz, rock, electronica and even classical influences. Usually with a good dose of humour: sometimes wry, sometimes more caustic. Hs best known work is perhaps the stuff he did with his band, The Mothers Of Invention. He also gave early shots in the arm to the careers of contemporaries like Captain Beefheart, and up-and-comers like Alice Cooper.
Winter's approval by the Zappa estate means he has unrivalled access to the Zappa vaults, which means he can show previously unseen concert footage and interviews. "Our tale will be told primarily in Frank’s own words," Winter says. "He will be our guide through this journey."
The director also promises that, appropriately, his film will be anything but a "straight" biopic. Rather, it'll be "an epic saga of a great American artist and thinker, a major event worthy of the scope of Zappa's prodigious and varied creative output, and the breadth of his personal and political life."
"We couldn't be happier to be working with Alex, an extraordinary filmmaker in his own right," says Zappa's widow Gail. "With an advanced degree in Perfect Timing and a shared respect for 'conceptual continuity,' we feel it is our duty. We also like his attitudinal position — gravity and humour go a long way with us."
"This is not an easy story to tell," adds Zappa's son Ahmet (himself now a film writer and producer). "We trust that Alex truly understands the complex and multifaceted man that my father was."
Glen Zipper, who Winter also worked with on Deep Web, will be the film's produce. The plan is to have it finished and ready for release in 2017.