Tommy Simpson
Saucedo
Tragedy and triumph
What would you do if your entire life’s training, your livelihood and your identity were suddenly and traumatically ripped away from you? How would you cope with the loss, and more importantly, how would you move forward (or would you, at all?). Former boxer phenom Alex Saucedo came to this crossroads after sustaining life threatening brain injuries in the opening rounds of a title fight for the WBO light welterweight belt in 2018. Forced into sudden retirement and lucky to be alive, SAUCEDO follow’s Alex’s rediscovery of himself and triumphs in deepening his love and commitment to his family.
STREETS LOUD WITH ECHOES
Documenting the rebirth of Qazaqstan
What brings people together? A common answer to this is, unfortunately, tragedy. Citizens of Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, faced this head on after the murder of Denis Ten, a national icon who won the only Olympic medal for figure skating in his country’s history. He was killed by petty thieves while they tried to steal his car mirrors, in the center of downtown in broad daylight. The entire city mourned his shocking death and commiserated by coming to the place of his murder to process all their emotions about the horrific incident and the systemic issues that allowed it to happen. Several grassroots organizations were formed to shepherd positive change, and the new documentary feature film by Werner Herzog protégé, Katerina Suvorova, follows one such organization, “Oyan Qazaqstan” (meaning “wake up Kazakhstan”). The score is a dance between the delicate and the destructive, feeling on the brink of despair and hope simultaneously. It is up to us which side of such emotions we put our attention towards, and therefore, what destiny we manifest.
Kung Fu Games
Dominate or die
My score to Paramount Picture’s KUNG FU GAMES is available streaming now, and the film’s digital release is September 10th. The score is some of my most exciting and unsettling work, ranging from scathing IDM to haunting dark ambient, with some fun, kitsch and beauty sprinkled in for good measure. I’m so excited for it to freak you the fuck out.
Off Hollywood
The Undocumented Journey of Hope
A film by Tatyana Kim
How far would you go to keep a dream alive? How much of your comfort, livelihood and security are you willing to sacrifice to keep a non-ordained hope afloat? Why chance everything on something risky and without a safety net? This is the age old dilemma of the artist, and the answer is simple — because they have no other choice but to. It is death not to be in pursuit of this essential vision, one they feel constantly but only find slightly better ways to crudely articulate over time. That force which is on one hand not part of our world, and on the other, the source from which all things are born.
Misha, a musician from Kazakhstan, is struggling to find cash-paying jobs that would help him and his two-year-old daughter to survive in Los Angeles during the pandemic as they wait for immigration documents.
R.A.E.R BETA 0027
A film by Ryan Jaeger
“The brighter the light, the darker the shadow”
We are all a mystery to ourselves, but some are truly lost in that dark night of the soul. In that darkness, some attempt to find themselves by creating a false aura of brightness, projecting it outward, hoping that wearing a mask of cheerful positivity will transform them into a being that can outshine the seemingly infinite shadow that has enveloped them. But this is a siren song that binds one to a stunted, dead-end version of themselves. The way out is through, and by diving deeper into their walled-off subconscious and understanding the shadow within their heart and mind, they can then uncover a forgotten key that can free them from this shackled state of developmental paralysis.
In the distant future, a woman struggling to overcome a traumatic loss seeks out help from a tech developer with a device that promises to accelerate the emotional healing process.
Press
https://insightmusic.co/album-review-raer-beta-0027-tommy-simpson/