Nick Cave and Warren Ellis to Star in Feature Documentary ‘This Much I Know To Be True'

Shot on location in London & Brighton, Andrew Dominik’s new feature doc THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE captures Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ exceptional creative relationship as they bring to life the songs from their last two studio albums, Ghosteen (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds) and Carnage (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis).

In this document of their first ever performances of these albums, filmed in spring 2021 ahead of their UK tour, we see the two, accompanied by singers and string quartet, as they nurture each song into existence. The film features a special appearance by close friend and long-term collaborator, Marianne Faithfull.

Interstitial pieces between the songs illuminate the cosmology and themes of the music. We hear about the process of Nick writing The Red Hand Files — the letters he chooses to answer and the replies themselves — giving us an insight into his current concerns in life and music, and into the method by which he is able to bring his own thoughts and feelings into order. We also visit the workshop where he is creating a series of sculptures depicting the life of the Devil — a portrait of the lives of all of us as we move from innocence to experience, attune to the world and its attendant loss, and eventually confront our own mortality.

THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE reaches into the deep friendship and personal relationship between Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, something glimpsed in the 2014 Cave pseudo-documentary, 20,000 Days on Earth. The film will prove to be another significant moment in the journeys of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, capturing their mood and spirit of the pair as they move through a new, optimistic phase.

“It was kind of a drag when Nick asked me to do another film because I was in the middle of finishing Blonde & I didn’t have time to go to London & shoot in the middle of a pandemic. I was going to say no to him — but then I went & listened to Ghosteen again & I realised there was no way I could say no. That would be crazy,” says director Andrew Dominik. “It’s exhilarating to shoot a movie in five days & to only give yourself two weeks to think about what it should be before you’re standing there doing it. Must be how those mountain climbers feel when they do it without ropes.”

Nils Leonard, co-founder, Uncommon said: “Uncommon always set out to create reference points, to make images, films and experiences that matter with brands, and without them. We are so proud to partner with Bad Seed to produce our first feature, This Much I Know To Be True, with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.”

Shot in colour by Andrew Dominik (Chopper, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Blonde) and with cinematography by Robbie Ryan (The Favourite, Marriage Story) THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE is a companion piece to Dominik’s 2016 film One More Time with Feeling which premiered at the Venice Film festival followed by screenings in 850 cinemas across 30 countries.

THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE will be released later this year. More information will be announced via nickcave.com.