Press release -
THIS FILM SHOULD NOT EXIST: Portrait of eccentric artist Ben Wallers (The Rebel) and 90s punk legends Country Teasers
The documentary follows Ben Wallers journey from promising pupil of one of the most exclusive schools in England to eccentric underground musician and politically incorrect, provocative lyricist: the beginnings with country-post-punk band Country Teasers in early 90s Edinburgh, the meeting with first label Crypt Records, a crazy European tour with Memphis garage-punk band the Oblivians, the relationship with his idols - Welsh band Datblygu - and his solo career as the Rebel. A humorous look at 90s alternative music scene and a reflection on life choices, art and freedom.
If Country Teasers are to be remembered, and they must be, the first thing memory will keep is the image of a hat and a pair of big glasses on a whippersnapper in a suit.
To be more serious, we'll always remember the sounds of a collection of fabulous songs: pure country music disguised as iconoclastic, bumpy and dissonant garage rock.
And also, the scandalously top-quality lyrics in which cruelty vies with delicacy in shocking but perfectly chiselled literature.
Above all, we'll remember Ben Wallers who wrote all these songs. “This film should not exist” works a bit like a bank robbery on us. We think we're watching a film which ticks all the right rock documentary boxes - archive footage from the orgiastic 1995 tour with The Oblivians and the Crypt label's blessing, stories of everyday life, bitter reports on life journeys, etc. - then, halfway through and with a delicately insistent grin, the film takes us somewhere else completely to get lost in a forest.
In this way it definitely echoes and follows the artistic path taken by Ben Wallers, this documentary's lead character.
Photo: Medwyn Jones
It is the portrait of this man, an important artist, underground group leader and genius marksman, that we see before us.
Ben R. Wallers
English-born eccentric frontman of Country Teasers. Formed in Edinburgh, the band was active with different line-ups from 1993 to 2008, sharing members with bands like Yummy Fur and The Male Nurse and released records on Crypt, In The Red Recordings and Fat Possum. Ben is known for his provocative, politically incorrect, satirical lyrics and now usually performs solo as The Rebel.
Simon W. Stephens
born in Manchester, former Country Teasers bass player, now a successful award-winning playwright (among many “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”, “Motortown”, “Punk Rock”, “Port”)
Tim Warren
American-born founder of Crypt Records. Started in 1983 to reissue obscure 60s garage punk records, has been running his label in Germany since 1990. Besides Country Teasers and the Oblivians, he has released LPs of bands like Thee Mighty Ceasars, Thee Headcoats, The Gories, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and New Bomb Turks.
Eric Friedl, Jack Yarber, Greg Cartwright
Members of garage-punk-blues band the Oblivians. Formed in Memphis in 1993, they released LPs and singles on various labels including In The Red, Sympathy For The Records Industry and Eric’s own Goner Records (whose other productions include Jay Reatard and Ty Segall). They broke up in 1998, then re-formed and have been regularly appearing in Festivals and touring around the world since 2009. Greg is also a member of Reigning Sound, while Jack performs as Jack Oblivian and the Sheiks.
Pat Morgan and David R. Edwards
Members of Datblygu, one of the most influential Welsh-language bands, often quoted by Super Furry Animals and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and among John Peel’s favourites. Started in 1982, after a sudden stop in 1995, they have been recording and occasionally appearing live again since 2008. They have just released a new LP “Cwm Gwagle”.
FILMMAKING TEAM
From France, Les Films Furax
Nicolas Drolc (b. 1987) is an independent filmmaker based in Nancy, France. Since an early age he fell in love with the wild world of obscure outsiders’ music hanging out at punk concerts and record stores, and DIY production. Trained on guerrilla filmmaking by German-based Slowboat films pirate crew, in 2014 he released his first feature length documentary “Sur les toits” (“On the rooftops”) a film about the prison riots that shook France in the early 70s.
In 2017 he completed a second feature film “Death must be earned” - a portrait of Serge Livrozet - a figure of french 70s counter-culture, former safe-cracker, prisoner, writer, and anarchist activist. “Bungalow Sessions” is his third feature documentary, released in 2019: a portrait of six American Folk-Blues underground musicians, filmed in Drolc's backyard in Nancy France.
He produces, directs, shoots and edits films by himself, with his company “Les Films Furax".
In 2018 he joined the crew of “This Film Should Not Exist” as co-author and editor. Website: https://www.lesfilmsfurax.com
From Italy, Bo Fidelity Cineproduzioni
Based in Turin, “This Film Should Not Exist” is its first production. Founders Gisella Albertini and Massimo Scocca went around Europe and the USA throughout the 90s hunting for gigs of underground lo-fi/garage-punk bands and filming them with a video 8 camera.
Their archive of tapes sat in a box for more than 20 years until they decided to go back on the road with the same spirit to interview the protagonists of the old scene today, and compile it into a documentary film.
Gisella Albertini was into music and records since as far as she can remember. In the 90s she started doing interviews for music ‘zines, organizing gigs and playing drums in garage bands. At the same time, sneaking into Cinema History classes and archive at the University and running a mail-order of obscure B-movies formed her taste about films.
Massimo Scocca has a long-time interest in music, photography and cinema. He wrote for ‘zines and books about rock’n’roll and pop culture, played and still plays in blues punk bands - most notably Two Bo’s Maniacs and LAME.
OFFICIAL FESTIVAL SELECTION
Calgary Underground Film Festival - Canada
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival - Australia
Fifigrot Festival International du Film - Tolouse, France
Rock This Town Musical Film Fest - Pau, France
Doc’n Roll Film Festival - London, UK
PRODUCTION NOTES
Inspired by DIY garage-punk-rock background and Billy Childish amateur attitude (“I do what I do for the love” and enjoyment, without a formal training and the constraints of a “professional” status).
The documentary was almost entirely written, directed, filmed, edited, produced and financed by the filmmaking team itself - with just a little extra archive material and external help (additional cameras, sound mix), plus almost 200 crowdfunding backers who contributed to make this project possible with a total budget of about € 7500.
INFO SHEET
Title: “This Film Should Not Exist”
Film Type/Genre: Music Documentary
Runtime: 95 min
Shooting format: Digital Full HD, Video8, Super 8
Colour: Colour, B&W
Language: English
Subtitles: English, French, Italian, Welsh
Countries of Origin: Italy, France
Countries of Filming: France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom
Completion date: 2020
Written and directed by: Gisella Albertini, Nicolas Drolc, Massimo Scocca Produced by: Bo Fidelity Cineproduzioni (I), Les Film Furax (F)
Starring: Ben Wallers, Simon Stephens, Tim Warren, Eric Friedl, Greg Cartwright, Jack Yarber, David R. Edwards, Pat Morgan.
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