Godfrey Reggio, the legendary director of the Qatsi trilogy, has completed his next film and it will be arriving this fall. Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today they’ve acquired North American Rights to his latest film Once Within a Time, co-directed by Jon Kane. Featuring original music composed by Philip Glass with additional music and vocals by Sussan Deyhim, the film will arrive in theaters this fall following its premiere as part of the Museum of Modern Art’s film series Total Cinema of Sight and Sound: Godfrey Reggio and Philip Glass, taking place September 26 – October 4, 2023.
Here’s the synopsis: “Celebrated director Godfrey Reggio returns after ten years with a new experimental film unlike any other from his already daring career: a bardic fairy tale about the end of the world and the beginning of a new one, tinged with apocalyptic comedy, rapturous cinematography, unforgettable vistas, and the innocence and hopes of a new generation. Featuring an electrifying score composed by Reggio’s longtime collaborator Philip Glass with additional vocals from Sussan Deyhim and co-directed by veteran editor and filmmaker Jon Kane, ONCE WITHIN A TIME is the indie revelation of the year.”
Reggio said, “You will be surprised how much your ear may see, it shows us a World more real than true. It doesn’t answer your question, it raises a question: Which age is this, the sunset or the dawn? Where all are implicated in this World of Now—Once Within a Time.”
Executive producer Steven Soderbergh said, “A film can be visionary as hell but if that vision isn’t matched by your distributor, you’re sunk. Dan and the Oscilloscope team were all over this from the jump, and their excitement and belief has us counting the days until people can see Godfrey’s latest supernova of a movie.”
O-Scope’s Dan Berger said, “ONCE WITHIN A TIME is a rare film that can accurately be referred to as unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s a gorgeous, trippy, thought-provoking, and daring work that will wow and surprise audiences. We’re ecstatic to get to be a part of getting this unique work of art in front of people in a theatrical setting to be seen as it should—big and loud.”
The deal was negotiated with Dan Berger, President of Oscilloscope Laboratories, and Steven Soderbergh on behalf of the filmmakers.