Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields

Philadelphia Premiere

Saturday, November 13 at 5:30pm

Main Stage / 2 hours

“I'm the luckiest guy on the Lower East Side cause I've got wheels and you want to go for a ride.”

The new documentary Strange Powers goes backstage with The Magnetic Fields, the band responsible for some of the quirkiest, saddest, sweetest tunes in indie pop. Enter the world of enigmatic singer/songwriter Stephin Merritt and witness his unique music-making process, his deep connection to band member/manager Claudia Gonson and the impact of the epic album 69 Love Songs. Claudia Gonson and filmmaker Kerthy Fix will talk about the impact of The Magnetic Fields following the screening.

Watch the trailer here.

Kerthy Fix’s very first film credit was on the indie classic, Slacker as a production assistant. Her first television credit was on the PBS series Austin City Limits holding cue cards for Willie Nelson. More recently, she co-produced the 6-part series, FLYING: Confessions of a Free Woman with director Jennifer Fox for the Sundance Channel (2008). She also co-produced Hotel Gramercy Park (Tribeca Film Festival, 2008, Sundance Channel, 2009) with filmmaker Douglas Keeve. In 2008/09, she co-produced the independent distribution for the documentary, Who Does She Think She Is? for director Pamela Tanner Boll (exec-producer, Born Into Brothels). In 2009, her directorial debut, Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields, premiered at SXSW. It will begin its theatrical run at the Film Forum in New York City in October 2010. More recently Kerthy directed Le Tigre: On Tour, a concert documentary about the band Le Tigre that is also on the festival circuit. Turning to the features world, she co-wrote a script about Christine Jorgensen, the first famous transsexual, with Craig Harwood. Called The Most Famous Woman in the World, it was accepted into the Outfest 2009 ScriptLab and won the Newfest 2009 Script Competition.

Claudia Gonson was born in Boston, and has lived in New York City since 1993. She is best known for her work as manager and performer with The Magnetic Fields, and as the manager of songwriter Stephin Merritt. Gonson and Merritt met in the 1980's and the pair have worked together for over twenty years. Along with managing his many projects, Claudia records and performs with The Magnetic Fields as their piano player, percussionist and singer. She also sings with another Stephin Merritt project, Future Bible Heroes. Claudia has played drums in the bands Tender Trap and Honeybunch, and written and performed her own music with Shirley Simms and author Rick Moody.

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