THE GREAT GRAND WORLD TOUR

Dear everyone! My art wild indie-art film, the GREAT GRAND GREATNESS AWARDS is going on WORLD TOUR - The GREAT GRAND WORLD TOUR!

I have long longed for a new, more personal, and analog way to get my film out in the world, and now I’ve come to the conclusion that I will bring it to the world. For this I need your help.

Over a stretch of 3 months and 5 continents, starting on my 30th birthday, I will bring this self-funded, crazy, and unique film out in the world. I will make screenings in at least 22 cities around the world, and meet old friends and strangers everywhere. I will talk to all sorts of people and audiences, and use my film as the starting point for an exchange of ideas.

I will go to cities and make screenings in cinemas, art spaces, garden and in public, inviting located people familiar and new to the medium of art film!

In Europe, I will go by car, and I will bring a clown, a photographer, a tricster, and a musician. Furthermore I will bring some chairs and a projector and sound equipment, so that we will be able to screen the film in public space, on walls and other funky locations.

The film will have its official Danish premiere in January 2024 (Grand Teatret). With this fantastic premiere in mind, we will ride the roads from March on with screenings already planned in Berlin, Amsterdam, Montreal, New York, Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe), London, Rome and San Sebastian - all the time new screenings are being organized, and some will also be more impulsive screenings that will be improvised ad hoc and from the people we meet on the road.

It has long been a frustration for me that the film has fared around the world, in small film festivals, where I was not given notice to come and join. This film has been made by 100+ people and so much love went into it. It has social power, and therefore I want to take its spirit out in the world.

I will need money to acquire equipment, and to cover transportation costs, posters and subtitle translations. I funded this film myself, from long shift and selling pictures, but I made it. Now I would like to ask you to support me, if you want and with anything you can!

If I reach my goal we have the possibility of making a fantastic tour, which will also be documented and made into a documentary clip. Also, I will invite EVERYONE who will contribute to a great celebration upon ending the tour! I really hope for your support and send lots of love! And maybe see you ON TOUR?

Yours

Jo

ADDITIONALLY

I will here post some information of the tour destinations and some more info on the film. Please do get in touch if you have contacts in any of these cities that could be relevant for me!

TOUR PLAN

Berlin

Amsterdam

Paris

Rome

Milan

Madrid

San Sebastian

Lisbon

London

Glasgow

Stockholm

Montreal

New York

Los Angeles

Addis Abeba

Victoria Falls

Rio de Janeiro

Montevideo

Córdoba

Buenos Aires

New Dehli

Here is some information on the project:

The film is called The Great Grand Greatness Awards 2021. I wrote, directed, produced and funded it. It is an absurdist art film in the form of an award show that nobody could attend to. That is of course very unfortunate, but it is the grotesque premise of the film: the host couldn’t be there, but stands in a sort of gold room with her makeup put on in a clumsy way. The presenters are around in all the corners in the world, the prize winners are long gone - one is in a star observatory in L.A., another is waiting for love on an Icelandic volcano - the audience isn’t there in the giant cinema (Le Grand REX in Paris with 4.000 seats / we see the film playing on the screen of the emptied theatre) and the products couldn’t be there in the commercials, resulting in the people in the commercial weeping and sobbing because of their absence. Everybody’s alone, always only one person in frame. The last scene is a funeral handler struggling to carry a coffin into a country church - alone - but the dead person also couldn’t be there. Most unfortunate! It is all very tragicomic, especially as the ‘audience’ who isn’t there begins to acts weirder and weirder as the film progresses, clapping and laughing at inappropriate times, making the host job quite difficult.

I understand if you are confused by now. I could also say that I am musing over the idea of being absent, and thinking about what being together means + playing with the ‘postulated togetherness’ and automatisms that are inherent to the award show genre.

I guess corona has not made the idea any less relevant or any less real for that matter. Which is strange because I wrote the film three years ago.

It’s been a real passion project, quite rock n roll, but I have been very lucky as a one man army to the some good allies. Most importantly Nicolaj Monberg, who is editing the film and working with the marble. I am a visual artist and never knew the process of making a film. It’s been one hell of a ride. I’ve also lucky to have a fantastic lead actor (May Lifschitz) who really made my monologues live. And here in the post production stage I’ve been fortunate enough to get the help of Mia Bang. And many other great people have helped: Le Grand Rex, Gjorslev Gods, Filmby Aarhus, Tungsten Studio Amsterdam, Studio 30 Herlev, Kirke Værløse Kirke, Munkebjergskolens Stjerne- observatorium, Gawenda Gladsaxe Ungdomsscene, BACON Cph and many more. All the great actors and people who gave me permission to use their locations. It’s been tough and great and I can’t wait doing the last stretch.

Best regards and superthoughts

Jo Hedegaard