10th edition CIFF – 10-14 April 2024

Whiplash (2015 Feature Film)

Damien Chazelle | USA | 2014 | 107 min | English

A music film along the lines of a sports movie, with a dash of horror. Up-and-coming drumming talent Andrew is mentored by merciless jazz teacher Fletcher, who goes to sadistic lengths to get the best out of his students. How much humiliation can Andrew stand to achieve his dream?

There’s a gaping chasm between ‘doing your best’ and ‘being the best’. Nine-year-old Andrew is aiming for the latter and works with intense focus on becoming the best jazz drummer in the world. With a tenacity that borders on arrogance, he tries to rise above his family’s mediocrity.

His tenacity becomes more important than his talent when he is picked for the studio band by conductor Fletcher at the Shaffer Conservatory in New York. The merciless bandleader drives his students to extremes, demanding nothing less than perfection. If they are lucky, those that make mistakes get sworn at; if not, a chair might fly their way. Seldom were the words ‘Not my tempo’ so threatening.

Damien Chazelle loosely based this film on his experiences as an up-and-coming musician, revealing the aggressive, intensely competitive side of the music world, more reminiscent of sports movies. The extremely young director received five Oscar nominations for this, his second film. Whiplash was awarded an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing.

Place: The Cinemas 4

Date: 25 March 2015

Time: 21:15

Duration: 2:00

Year in
Festival

2015

Director

Damien Chazelle

Camera

Sharone Meir

Cast

Miles Teller
J.K. Simmons
Paul Reiser
Melissa Benoist
Austin Stowell
Nate Lang
Chris Mulkey

Country

USA

Editor

Tom Cross

Language

English

Length

107 min

Music

Justin Hurwitz

Producer

Jason Blum
Helen Estabrook
David Lancaster
Michel Litvak

Production Design

Melanie Paizis-Jones

Scenario

Damien Chazelle

Sound Design

Ben Wilkins
Craig Mann
Thomas Curley

Year of Production

2014

Damien CHAZELLE (1985, Verenigde Staten) wilde al van kinds af aan filmmaker worden, maar had ook altijd een grote liefde voor muziek. Op de middelbare school deed hij verwoede pogingen om jazzdrummer te worden, onder een zeer strikte docent – ervaringen die hij verwerkte in zijn tweede speelfilm Whiplash.

 

Filmography

Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009), Whiplash (2013, short), Whiplash (2014)