Smells like screen spirit: Cobain documentary premieres in Berlin

A raw documentary about Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain wowed the audience at its international premiere in Berlin, giving rare insights into the life of a man who, despite or because of his success, felt alienated until his suicide. Eight years in the making, “Cobain: Montage of Heck” is a 135-minute multimedia roller-coaster ride of unseen home movies, audio recordings, journal entries, drawings and notebook scrawlings, blended with interview excerpts and concert clips. The movie gives an intimate look at the home life and inner workings of the songwriter, who committed suicide in 1994.

Nobody asked for a single cut, nobody asked for a change, which is essentially unheard of in dealing with such an icon.

Brett Morgen, Cobain filmmaker, thanking Kurt’s wife, Courtney Love for trust and courage in the film

The film also gives a view into Kurt’s life as a child. In interviews with his parents, Kurt is described as an angel, but also a whirlwind whose activity they tried to control with Ritalin. His parents speak about their divorce and how Cobain was pushed between different homes as a teenager. Video scenes show Cobain as a sullen youth, with his own voiceover describing how discovering marijuana and punk music helped him cope with a profound feeling of isolation.

Entertainment Kurt Cobain