Cornucopia (film)
| Cornucopia | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ísold Uggadóttir |
| Based on | Cornucopia |
| Produced by |
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| Music by | Björk |
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 74 minutes (Apple TV+ version)[1] 98 minutes (full-length)[2] |
| Country | Portugal |
Cornucopia is a 2025 documentary concert film by Björk. Based on the eponymous concert tour (2019—2023), the film chronicles a performance of the show, which debuted as a residency at The Shed in New York City in 2019 before traveling the world and concluding in 2023. Conceived around songs from her ninth studio album Utopia (2017), the setlist also includes songs from Vulnicura (2015) and Fossora (2022).[3]
The movie was filmed during a show at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal by Icelandic director Ísold Uggadóttir, with Björk billed as "sound and visual director". The movie overlays the performances with the visuals that were projected on the screens on the background of the live setting.[4] The visuals were created by German artist Tobias Gremmler and several others, including Andrew Thomas Huang, Gabríela Friðriksdóttir, Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones.
A shortened version of the movie was released on Apple Music on January 24, 2025.[5] The full-length movie is going to premiere in Iceland on February 1, 2025.[2]
Background
[edit]Following the release of Vulnicura in 2015, an album that delved into themes of heartbreak and emotional healing, written during and after the end of her relationship with American artist Matthew Barney,[6] Björk recorded her ninth studio album Utopia, which was released in 2017.[7] Björk likened the writing of Utopia to "paradise" as opposed to Vulnicura being like "hell".[8] To promote Utopia, Björk embarked on a concert tour in 2018, known as the Utopia tour.[9] The shows featured the 7-piece Icelandic flute ensemble Viibra, American harpist Katie Buckley, a percussion section played by Austrian musician Manu Delago, with electronics and musical direction by Bergur Þórisson.[10] The tour only visited Europe.[11]
On November 12 2018, Björk announced Cornucopia, a new theatrical production premiering at The Shed. She described it as her "most elaborate stage concert yet, where the acoustic and digital will shake hands, encouraged by a bespoke team of collaborators". The band was the same as the Utopia tour, with the inclusion of Icelandic choir The Hamrahlid Choir. The theatrical version of the show was directed by Lucrecia Martel with stage design by Chiara Stephenson and digital visual design by Tobias Gremmler. The creative team for Cornucopia also included choreography by Margrét Bjarnadóttir, lighting design by Bruno Poet, dresses and costumes by Iris Van Herpen and Olivier Rousteing, sound design by Gareth Fry, sound engineering by John Gale, with frequent collaborator and artist James Merry involved in the making of masks and in the visual co-direction of the show.[12][13] The live set of Cornucopia included 27 moving curtains that captured projections on different textures and LED screens, and several bespoke instruments such as a magnetic harp, an aluphone, a circular flute, and a reverb chamber designed by Arup Group to feature a "personal chapel" on stage.[4] After the premiere at the Shed, Cornucopia was performed as a residency in Mexico City, before adapting to an arena tour in Europe. With the COVID-19 pandemic underway, plans to continue the tour were postponed. From 2021 to 2023, Björk embarked on the Björk Orkestral tour, which featured acoustic renditions of songs from her discography. She has stated costs to tour Cornucopia were also covered by doing these performances.[3]
In 2022, Björk released her tenth studio album, Fossora. While Utopia focused on airy, light themes, Fossora was rooted in more grounded, earthy sounds, influenced by her personal life and the pandemic's impact. In 2023, Björk resumed the Cornucopia tour in Perth, Australia, including songs from Fossora in the set list.[14] Cornucopia is the first tour of Björk's career to not be named after a specific album, as she stated "I just knew it would be a vessel for more things".[4]
Release
[edit]In a November 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, Björk confirmed that Cornucopia would be adapted into a concert film, originally slated for release in 2024.[15] The Cornucopia movie was officially announced during Climate Week 2024 in New York.[16] The movie was produced by Snowstorm Productions, S101 Films and Level Forward.[17] Talkhouse co-executive produced the concert film.[18]
In January 2025, Björk teased the movie by giving several interviews to publications such as The Observer, GQ, Le Monde and Paper, in which she talked about the movie and the tour.[3][19][4] On January 23, she sat down for an interview with Zane Lowe during his show on Apple Music 1, her first on-camera interview in a decade, to talk about Cornucopia and her creative process.[20] During the talk, Björk wore the "Soul Gown" by fashion designer Robert Wun, embroidered with 97,000 Swarovski crystals.[21][22]
A shortened version of the movie, lasting 74 minutes, was released on Apple TV+ as part of the Apple Music Live series on January 24, 2025.[5] The full-length movie was previewed exclusively for Björk and collaborators at the Smárabíó cinema in Reykjavík on January 22, before being theatrically released in Iceland from February 1, 2025.[2] Screenings are expected to start in March in France.[23]
Live album
[edit]| Apple Music Live: Björk (Cornucopia) | ||||
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| Live album / video album by | ||||
| Released | 25 January 2025 | |||
| Recorded | 1 September 2023 | |||
| Venue | Altice Arena (Lisbon, Portugal) | |||
| Length | 73:27 | |||
| Label | One Little Independent Records | |||
| Björk chronology | ||||
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| Björk video chronology | ||||
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Alongside the concert film, Björk released a live album consisting of the performances from the show.[18] The album, titled Apple Music Live: Björk (Cornucopia), was released exclusively on Apple Music and available in spatial audio.[24] According to a press release, the setlist was arranged "to celebrate Björk's lifetime of creative innovation".[20]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks written by Björk, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Family" (Intro) |
| 2:15 |
| 2. | "The Gate" |
| 4:41 |
| 3. | "Utopia" | 3:53 | |
| 4. | "Arisen My Senses" |
| 3:51 |
| 5. | "Isobel" | 5:54 | |
| 6. | "Blissing Me" | 3:49 | |
| 7. | "Manifesto" | 1:40 | |
| 8. | "Hidden Place" | 4:17 | |
| 9. | "Mouth's Cradle" | 3:21 | |
| 10. | "Victimhood" | 4:52 | |
| 11. | "Fossora" / "Atopos" |
| 3:04 |
| 12. | "Features Creatures" |
| 2:55 |
| 13. | "Courtship" | 3:14 | |
| 14. | "Pagan Poetry" | 3:06 | |
| 15. | "Losss" | 5:05 | |
| 16. | "Sue Me" |
| 3:43 |
| 17. | "Tabula Rasa" | 4:50 | |
| 18. | "Notget" |
| 5:28 |
| 19. | "Future Forever" |
| 3:29 |
| Total length: | 73:27 | ||
Notes
- In the audio-only version, "Family" (Intro) is omitted, and "The Gate" and "Utopia" make up a single track.[24]
- On "Manifesto" Björk reads a text over "Arpeggio", a flute solo included in the Bird Call Boxset edition of Utopia.
See also
[edit]- List of Björk live performances
- Björk: Biophilia Live – 2014 concert film directed by Peter Strickland and Nick Fenton about the Biophilia tour (2011–2013)
References
[edit]- ^ "Apple Music Live: Bjork". BBFC. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Cornucopia í Smárabíó - Sýningartímar og miðar". Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ a b c Nicholson, Rebecca (January 12, 2025). "'I like to break the rules': Björk on comedy, darkness and the most flamboyant tour of her career". The Guardian. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Wille, Matt (January 21, 2025). "Björk Is Hopeful for Our Planet". Paper. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ a b Richardson, Kalia (January 22, 2025). "Björk to Preview 'Cornucopia' Film Ahead of Theatrical Release". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (January 21, 2015). "Björk's 'Vulnicura,' From Deep Within". The New York Times.
- ^ "Björk: Utopia Now". Dazeddigital.com. September 5, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "The Full Interview: Björk and Julia Davis". Another Magazine. March 7, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "Björk has announced a special stage rehearsal at the Háskólabíó theater in Reykjavik next month ahead of her Utopia tour!". Facebook. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "Photos: Björk Premieres 'Utopia' Live Show In Reykjavík". The Reykjavík Grapevine. April 10, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ Crisell, Hattie (August 17, 2018). "Les secrets de ses costumes, son make-up surréaliste... Rencontre avec Björk pendant son Utopia Tour". Vogue France. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "CORNUCOPIA". Theshed.org. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ^ "Meet the Artist who Brings Björk's Wildest Creative Fantasies to Life". GQ.com.au. 21 October 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ^ Law, Benjamin (March 4, 2023). "Björk Cornucopia review – an electrifying pop concert, art installation and opening ceremony rolled into one". The Guardian. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ Grow, Kory (November 5, 2023). "How Protesting Iceland's 'Frankenstein Fish' Inspired Björk and Rosalía to Unite for a Surprisingly Poppy Duet". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ^ Grow, Kory (September 27, 2024). "Bjork Teases 'Cornucopia' Concert Film at Climate Week: 'Imagine a Future. Be in It'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 27, 2024). "Björk Launching 'Cornucopia': New Concert Film Addresses Climate Issues". Deadline. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Deville, Chris (January 22, 2025). "Björk Announces Cornucopia Movie Release". Stereogum. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ Campbell, Hayley (January 17, 2025). "Björk Talks Goths and Ravers, Men and Women, Life and Death, Utopia and Cornucopia". GQ. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ a b Kelly, Tyler Damara (January 23, 2025). "Björk performs exclusive show for Apple Music and discusses forthcoming climate-focused film, Cornucopia". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ Tómas, Ragnar (January 24, 2025). "Björk Dazzles in Swarovski Crystals for Cornucopia Debut". Iceland Review. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ Gunnlaugsdóttir, Edda (January 24, 2025). "Björk óþekkjanleg skreytt 97 þúsund kristöllum". mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ Herzberg, Nathaniel (January 19, 2025). "Björk : « Il y avait cette musique en moi que personne ne pouvait faire »". Le Monde. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ a b "Apple Music Live: Björk (Cornucopia) - Album by Björk". Apple Music. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Björk: Apple Music Live (Cornucopia)". Apple Music. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
| Studio albums | |
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| Soundtracks | |
| Compilation albums | |
| Remix albums | |
| Live albums | |
| Collaboration albums | |
| Concert films | |
| Video albums | |
| Documentaries | |
| Performances | |
| Other recordings | |
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| Exhibitions | |
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| Related articles | |
