| Director: | Michael Lurie, Eric Friedler |
|---|---|
| Production: | Untold (Jeffrey Giles), Thore Vollert Sugar Filmproduktion (Sohar Solomon), Wim Wenders |
| Running Time: | 108' |
| Language: | English |
| Country: | USA, Germany |
| Main Cast: | Jerry Lewis, Martin Scorsese, Harry Shearer, Sarah Silverman, Mel Brooks - as themselves |
| Editor: | Thilo Heidermann-May, Lamar R. Tupper |
| Music: | Alexander Precht |
| Visual Effects: | Thalia Jung, Bradley Greer |
Cinema
From darkness to light
Venice Classics
synopsis
In 1972 the “King of Comedy” Jerry Lewis was at the peak of his career. Driven by the ambition to play a dramatic role for a change, he set out to craft a very special movie project for himself, The Day the Clown Cried. It turned out to be an epic fiasco, becoming an elusive ghost of a movie with Lewis leaving the set and never speaking about what happened. The movie was never completed and has become the ultimate Hollywood myth. Now, after years of research, extensive materials have been found, restored and put into their production context. This documentary tells the story as daring as the original project itself, with Lewis playing a German clown in a concentration camp long before any other director had narrated the Holocaust on the big screen in fiction. Featuring exclusive interviews with cast and crew members like Pierre Étaix, Rune Ericson, long-time friend and companion Martin Scorsese and ultimately Jerry Lewis himself, From Darkness to Light finally uncovers the story of one of the most ambitious US- European coproduction projects of its time, the storm surrounding its shooting and the almost unbearable pressure it put on its protagonist, the “total filmmaker” Jerry Lewis.
director's statement
The Day the Clown Cried is a project shrouded in mystery and controversy, a film that has lived in the collective imagination of cinema enthusiasts for decades despite never being released. As directors, the allure of this enigmatic film by Lewis presented an irresistible challenge and an invaluable opportunity for exploration. Our documentary project has become a journey into the heart of artistic ambition, human frailty and the complex nature of comedy and tragedy. Lewis’ attempt to tackle the harrowing subject of the Holocaust through the lens of a comedic performer highlights the precarious balance between humor and horror, and it invites us to ponder the boundaries of taste, sensitivity and artistic risk. The film seeks to honor Lewis’ bold vision while critically examining the ethical and artistic dilemmas it presents. It is a tribute to the relentless pursuit of creativity and the often-painful realities that accompany it.
production/distribution
PRODUCTION 1: Untold LLC – Jeffrey Giles
120 Osborn Rd
98362, Port Angeles, WA
United States of America
PRODUCTION 2: Sugar Filmproduktion GmbH - Sohar Solomon
Schlueterstrasse 63
20146, Hamburg, Germania
http://sugar.film/
solomon@sugar.film
WORLD SALES: Jeffrey Giles - The Syndicate
8149 Santa Monica Blvd
90046, West Hollywood, CA
United States of America
http://www.thesyndicatefilms.com/
jeffrey@thesyndicatefilms.com
