Philip Harder, Cue the Strings – a film about Low, 2023. Photo courtesy the artist.
Soon after Alan Sparhawk (guitar and vocals) and Mimi Parker (drums and vocals) formed Low, Minneapolis filmmaker Philip Harder brought his 16mm camera north to make the Duluth band’s music video on a frozen Lake Superior. From that moment, Harder continued to film Low’s iconic live performances and create visuals for the band’s music videos. Harder’s non-narrative feature beautifully reassembles the span of his collaboration with Low, from first record to final show.
After debuting in 2023 at Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, the film comes to the Walker for the only screenings in the Twin Cities. Both screenings will be introduced by Harder, Sparhawk, and bassist Zak Sally.
“The screening of Cue the Strings is a nicely satisfying next step in our long relationship with Alan and Low,” said Doug Benidt, Associate Curator, Walker Art Center Performing Arts. “From performing at an exhibition opening party in the mid-90s, to Alan taking part as a performer in Morgan Thorson’s dance works, to two very memorable Low performances at Rock the Garden, Alan, Mimi, and other collaborators have found a creative home at the Walker. The film, which spans the entire career of Low, is a powerful way to relive the singular impact of the band.”
Cue the Strings – a film about Low by Philip Harder
Friday and Saturday, September 15 and 16, 7 pm
$15 ($12 Walker members, seniors, and students), free for students on Friday
Walker Cinema
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Philip Harder is a commercial and music video director famous for iconic spots for Apple’s iPod, Gap, and Target, and music videos for artists including Prince, Foo Fighters, and Cornershop. His debut 2020 feature film Tuscaloosa (Natalia Dyer, Stranger Things; Tate Donovan, Argo) brought to life the novel of the same name—a southern gothic story set in 1973 Alabama. Harder’s newest feature documentary, The Claw (2023), tells the Jekyll and Hyde story of one of the greatest supervillains in wrestling history.
Zak Sally is a musician, cartoonist, author, and printer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has owned and operated La Mano 21, a micro-press publishing concern, since 1992. Sally was the bass player in Low from 1994 until 2005 and continues to produce weird shit on a regular basis. He lives and works in Minneapolis.
Alan Sparhawk is thirty years into a career of music making, and 2023 finds him entering uncharted territory. Sparhawk cofounded the band Low alongside vocalist and drummer Mimi Parker, who passed away in late 2022. Their music derived elemental power from its fearless exploration of quiet, gentle places. Low released thirteen albums and influenced a movement of spacious, graceful, intimate, and ever-evolving music.
Over time, Low’s anthemic songs heightened in urgency and tone, unearthing new layers of musical exploration and lyrical questioning. Their final album, Grammy-nominated Hey What, was released in 2021 to universal acclaim and marked a high point in their musical evolution and trajectory.
Sparhawk has recently been playing with various collaborators and projects with friends and family members, including guest appearances with Yo La Tengo, Trampled by Turtles, Peder Mannerfelt, Damien, and funk band Derecho Rhythm Section. He will perform European solo shows in November 2023.
ACCESSIBILITY
For information about accessibility, or to request additional accommodations for this program, call 612.375.7564, or email access@walkerart.org.
For more information about accessibility at the Walker, visit our Access page.