Production title “Köln 75” Refers to the legendary improvised Keith Jarrett concert, which took place in Cologne in 1975. The record of this event has gained the status of one of the most popular albums in the history of jazz. Except that “Köln 75” is not really a movie about Jarret or about the concert per se. It is rather a loose to tell the extraordinary story of German Vera Brandes, who, despite all adversities (and there were a lot of them), made him at all. We meet the heroine on her day, celebrated, celebrated the fiftieth birthday, when she is already from the position of a successful woman. Although he enjoys great respect in the music industry, he cannot count on a good word on the part of his father, who during the party publicly announces that Vera is the greatest disappointment of his life. At this point there is one big flashback, illustrating the alleged reasons for these bitter words.
We move to the times when the heroine is still a suffered teenager, raised in a conservative house, where a real Kindergarten applies. This is a place where the already mentioned father should be listened unconditionally, and when he dreams that the daughter is to follow in his footsteps and deal with dentistry, it should be. And it’s over. It’s just that Vera apparently doesn’t know that word. It has something of a colorful bird that you can’t, simply, lock in the cage. The girl, a bit on her own, is looking for a life path. And for this, as it turns out, just a bit of case and the passage of barely a few blocks. The club concert of the British saxophonist Ronnie Scott, who clearly fascinated by the passion of the underage heroine, turns out to organize a concert tour.
The new life of Vera begins with this. We see how he soaks into the musical world step by step, visiting, among others Berlin, who in the 70s of the last century was one of the most important jazz scenes in the world. There, Jarrett hears live for the first time and that’s where she begins to germinate a crazy idea that will sign up on the pages of history. Fluk, therefore, in the first place tells not about the career of American musician, but the emancipation of a young woman, dreaming of being able to live her own way. The camera focuses on the role of Vera Mali Emde and shows how many obstacles her character had to beat on her way to the desired goal. From an authoritarian father, to a desperate search for funds, to the wrong piano or blazed music.
“Köln 75” is thus a story about steadfast and stubbornness given in a fairly light, entertainment way. The figure of journalist Michael Watts (Michael Chernus), blindly following Jarrett (John Magaro), is largely responsible for humorous accents. He is a fictitious figure, having – as Fluk argued – the features of several music critics working at that time. We can see Watts, in addition to showing the backstage of journalistic prehistory, as our musical tutor. The patch of intellectual, difficult music, certainly not for everyone. It is different with the film Fluka, which does not require specialist knowledge to enjoy it. Although there are several scenario of shallows and weaker moments, we should remember that the success of Jarrett’s concert also resulted from his imperfections and restrictions. For lovers of the American artist “Köln 75” is a kind of side, though funny anecdote, for the rest of the viewers – a story dressed in a musical costume that it is worth having dreams in life.
7/10
“Köln 75”dir. Ido Fluk, Germany, Belgium, Poland 2025, distributor: Madness.