Year: 2005

Format: S16 mm

Runtime: 1 hr 11 min (71 min)

 

How Many Roads offers a special view on forty years of contemporary American history, in the company of various followers and fans of Bob Dylan.

 

Dylan's lyrics appear to have a sometimes funny, sometimes dramatic, but always far-reaching influence on peoples' lives and convictions. The film consists of eleven beautifully shot separate portraits of people whose lives have been touched by Dylan's words. These words have given their lives a surprising or decisive turn. They appear to be ordinary people: a teacher, an accountant, a housewife, a student. They are of various ages, religions and convictions, but they all have one thing in common: without Dylan, they would have been entirely different people.

 

Each portrait is connected to a line in one of Dylan's songs. In this respect, the documentary is compiled like an album, consisting of separate songs that nevertheless form a united whole. A road movie through todays' American landscape and the poetic landscape of Dylan’s songs in a quest for meaning.

  

Festivals (a.o):

IDFA, Nyon, Toronto-HotDocs, Sao Paolo

 

 

 

Written & directed by Jos de Putter

Director of photography: Vladas Naudzius

Edited by Patrick Minks

Sound recording: Rik Meier

Original music by Vincent van Warmerdam & Peter Stone Brown

Sound design: Michel Schöpping

Produced by Frank van den Engel

 

Copyright 2005 Zeppers Film / HUMAN