DVD – Queen + Béjart Ballet For Life
“Queen + Béjart Ballet For Life” DVD release on September 6, 2019
On September 6, 2019, Eagle Vision will release Queen + Béjart: Ballet for Life on DVD, Blu-ray & digital video, which features the caption of Ballet for Life presented at the Salle Métropole in Lausanne in June 1997, and the documentary by Lynne Wake and Simon Lupton.
The documentary, edited by Emmy Award winner Christopher Bird, tells the story of Ballet for Life and its success, featuring the great and the good of both rock and dance, including: Brian May, Roger Taylor, Gil Roman, Wayne Sleep and Arlene Phillips. The 1997 performance includes incredible archive footage of Freddie Mercury, Maurice Béjart, Queen as well as Gianni Versace, and his stunning costume designs. This release also includes a substantial segment of John Deacon’s final performance with Queen, taken from Ballet for Life international premiere with Elton John in Paris.
The full performance at Théâtre Métropole, Lausanne in June 1997 was captured and directed by David Mallet, known specifically for directing live performance concerts of such megastars as Tina Turner, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and numerous Queen videos including Bicycle Race, Radio Ga Ga, I Want to Break Free and Freddie’s classic The Great Pretender video.
Ballet for Life was a unique collaboration between three cultural brands: Queen, Versace and the late visionary choreographer Maurice Béjart, celebrating the life and talents of legendary performers, Freddie Mercury and Béjart Ballet Lausanne’s former principal dancer, Jorge Donn, both of whom died of AIDS in the nineties. For Maurice Béjart, choreography is about the cycle of life, youth and hope, as well as life triumphing over death. Already presented over 350 times around the world, this ballet continues to tour widely.
Appropriately, Queen + Béjart: Ballet for Life will be released the day after the annual Freddie For A Day events, marking the birthday of the late, great Freddie Mercury. 100% of royalties payable by Eagle Rock Entertainment to Tonleigh Ltd will be donated to The Mercury Phoenix Trust fighting AIDS worldwide. The Mercury Phoenix Trust was founded in 1992 by Brian May, Roger Taylor and their manager Jim Beach in memory of rock band Queen’s iconic lead singer FREDDIE MERCURY who died in 1991 from AIDS related causes. In the last 27 years the Trust has given away over 16 million dollars in his name and funded over 1,000 mainly grassroots projects in the global battle against HIV/AIDS.
CONTENT
- Queen & Béjart – Ballet For Life (2018 Documentary – 60 minutes). By Lynne Wake. Production : Simon Lupton & Jim Beach. Film edition: Christopher Bird
- Ballet for Life (1997 Caption – 60 minutes). By David Mallet. Production: Rocky Oldham & Jim Beach. Film edition: Dave Gardener & David Mallet
- Bonus (1997 Making of – 25 minutes)
Pre-order: https://www.bejart.ch/
