Cargo Film & Releasing has acquired global rights, excluding Australia & New Zealand, to the documentary “Mutiny In Heaven: The Birthday Party,” commissioned by BMG and produced by Beyond TNC in collaboration with Eyewhite, about the whirlwind life and demise of Nick Cave’s legendary post-punk band The Birthday Party.
Boutique distributor Label will release the film in Australia and New Zealand later in the year with a theatrical run, supported by band members Mick Harvey and Phil Calvert, starting in the band’s birthplace, Melbourne.
The film, fully authorized by the band’s surviving members and estates, provides a glimpse into another dimension and goes deep inside the psyche and experiences of the band members to chronicle how, over a ten-year period, a group of Australian school friends, led by Nick Cave, jolted audiences awake into Dionysian frenzy with their confrontational, intense performances. “Mutiny In Heaven” features never-before-seen archival footage and photos, as well never before heard interviews, divulging shocking behind the scenes stories, as it tracks the band’s arc from breakthrough to break-up.
Director Ian White has helmed theatrical features and broadcast content in over 15 countries, receiving a number of awards along the way. As a former music industry art director, he worked with a diverse range of acts from Kylie Minogue to The Butthole Surfers. Having witnessed The Birthday Party perform live in its heyday, he had no hesitation when the band approached him to direct this project.
Band member Mick Harvey serves as Executive Producer and Music Supervisor. Long term friend of the band Wim Wenders is Executive Producer, alongside Bill Lord, Michael Murphy, Stuart Souter and Jenny O’Shea. Producers are Greg Blakey and Ian White. Cargo will present the film at upcoming festivals and is scheduling a theatrical release of the film in North America in the fall of 2023 to coincide with a Nick Cave tour in the United States.
Cargo Film & Releasing are EPs, agents and US distributors of documentary film and series. “The Birthday Party: Mutiny In Heaven” will join Cargo’s diverse lineup of premium documentary content which includes the Academy Award-shortlisted film “Hidden Letters,” the SXSW-selected film “Satan Wants You”, and “Black & White Stripes: The Juventus Story.”
