Johnny Physical Lives (2015)

• 83%
• 2015
• Animation
• Documentary
• Music
• Joshua Neuman

Johnny Physical Lives is the story of the secret world of two brothers making a rock n' roll documentary as one goes through treatment for leukemia. When younger brother Jonathan passes away in the midst of the production, older brother Joshua must finish the project on his own. First time filmmaker, Joshua Neuman weaves footage of his brother Jonathan in and out of the hospital during treatment with an interview of Jonathan shot by famed documentarian Albert Maysles and live animation to "physically" bring to life Jonathan's inner world, showing how he experienced cancer through the eyes of a rock star: the hospital became a seedy hotel; chemotherapy, the scandalous addiction fueling his music; and nurses, groupies at his beckon call. This heart wrenching love letter from one brother to another challenges our assumptions about individuals battling illness and highlights the transformative power of music.