A Great Day in Paris (2008)

It all started with a celebrated photo and a nomadic friendship of more than 30 years between the jazzman Ricky Ford and the filmmaker Michka Saäl. Working for Esquire magazine, Art Kane brought together 57 jazz legends on the steps of a building in Harlem in 1958. In an homage 50 years later, Ricky Ford, with help from French photographer Philippe Lévy-Stab, gathered 75 American jazzmen and jazzwomen living in France for their own historic photo on the steps of Montmartre. Michka Saäl wanted to make a film that witnessed this event and explored the question of artistic exile. It took her 10 years to finish this film where passion for music and the transmission of ancient knowledge cement the bonds of friendship.