Mae Karthauser to play Totnes Cinema screening of film homage to artists murdered in war
New film ‘Branded (ЗАТАВРОВАНА)’ will be shown on Monday, Feb 26
Totnes singer-songwriter and pianist Mae Karthauser will perform an anti-war acoustic set at Totnes Cinema on Feb 26, after a screening of ‘Branded (ЗАТАВРОВАНА)’, a haunting movie about the relationship between artists and oppressive regimes. Both Mae and filmmaker Pauline Amos are alumni of Dartington College. Pauline saw Mae playing a show at Hatch Barn last September, including Mae’s latest single Army Dreamers, and asked if she’d like to be involved.
“The film is a homage to artists who’ve been murdered for their art,” Mae tells Totnes Pulse. “And those who are right now trapped in oppressive regimes, where the kind of creative freedoms that we take for granted are illegal, and punishable.” ‘Branded (ЗАТАВРОВАНА)’ takes the form of a narrative drama, and includes moving contributions from two Ukrainians turned reluctant soldiers forced to defend their homeland, Kateryna Polishchuk and Nazar Grabar. Nazar tragically lost his brother to the war, and was himself wounded in action. Kateryna – a singer – was captured by the Russians in the city of Mariupol, and was held as a prisoner of war for four brutal months.
“I felt a very strong calling to collaborate with Pauline on this project,” says Mae. “The audience will have a chance to talk to Pauline in a Q&A session after the film, and I will play a few songs, including Ask No Questions, which is all about propaganda and the abuse of political power, and Army Dreamers, the Kate Bush anti-war anthem we released a cover version of on January 12.”
Audiences can also expect some slavic folk, a longstanding personal passion of Mae’s. “I adore Totnes Cinema,” Mae tells Totnes Pulse. “I’ve lived in the town long enough to remember when that space was a library. The change that Jane and her team have made in just a few short years is extraordinary.
“You enter through a little doorway, down a stone corridor – it’s like something you might find in the South of France, or some meandering ancient town. Inside, the cinema is all gorgeous Art Deco touches, luxurious furniture, deep teal, velvet, gold and terracotta. The space also has a beautiful grand piano, fantastic cocktails, and a magnificent balcony.”
The 70-minute arthouse film – with the tagline “we fight for freedom, and art is our voice” – will go on tour later this year around the UK, and ultimately Kyiv. A percentage of ticket and book sales will be donated to Ukrainian charities associated with the film.
Doors open at 7pm on Monday, February 26.