Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Grant Gee
Longer breaks can be part of music, this film proclaims at one point. Shortly after pianist Bill Evans recorded the legendary version of Waltz for Debby with his trio at the famous New York jazz club Village Vanguard, his bassist Scott LaFaro passes away in a car accident. For the rather introverted Bill Evans (played by Norwegian actor Anders Danielsen Lie), this break becomes his downfall. He numbs his pain with hard drugs and lives with his brother, who eventually sends him off to his parents (played by Bill Pullman and Laurie Metcalf) in Florida.
Filmed in high-contrast black and white which sets the melancholic undertone of the film, former documentary director Grant Gee explores Evans' relationships with his family and his on-off girlfriend. Bill Evans was one of the most influential jazz pianists, admired by the likes of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea; but Gee's film, named after a record released in 1959, avoids portraying the musician as a refined genius.
29 April 2026
22:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino
More information
| Direction | Grant Gee |
| Country | Ireland, United Kingdom |
| Production year | 2026 |
| Duration | 102 min |
| Language | English |
| Language Version | OV with German Subs |
| Genre | Drama |
| Production | Janine Marmot, Alan Maher |
| Production company | Cowtown Pictures, Hot Property |
| Distribution | Mister Smith Entertainment |
| Cast | Anders Danielsen Lie, Bill Pullman, Laurie Metcalf, Barry Ward, Valene Kane |
| Director of Photography | Piers McGrail |
| Script | Mark O’Halloran |
| Montage | Adam Biskupski |
| Sound | Simon Ratcliffe, Richard West |
| Music | Roger Goula |
| Sound Design | James Olivier |
BERLINALE 2026: Best Director
| Presented by: | Jazz Initiative Frankfurt |
About the director
Everybody Digs Bill Evans is the feature film debut of British documentary director Grant Gee, born in 1964. Gee rose to fame because of his music videos (such as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Nature Boy, 2004) and his documentaries about bands like Joy Division (2007) and Radiohead (2008). The Gold Machine (2022) was the final installation of his documentary trilogy about places books take us, preceded by Patience: After Sebald (2012) and Innocence of Memories (2015). Gee also does work for theaters and opera houses.
Press reviews
“[Everybody Digs Bill Evans] should, by rights, be a big downer […]. But the movie’s artful direction, nimble structure, visual richness and impeccable performances make for something full-bodied, compelling and deeply affecting, its melancholy beauty lingering long after the end credits roll.” (Hollywood Reporter)
“It is by no means a typical jazz biopic: those expecting a medley of classic Evans numbers will be disappointed […]. This is more a movie lover’s film than a musician’s film, that should speak to committed cineastes everywhere.” (Screen Daily)
International Feature Film Program