Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, and Martin Scorsese praise the Band in the new trailer for Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band, an upcoming authorized documentary about the group.
“There is no band that emphasizes becoming greater than the sum of its parts than the Band,” Springsteen says in the trailer. “Simply their name: the Band. That was it.”
Scorsese, who directed The Last Waltz, the Band’s legendary farewell concert film, adds of their music, “This didn’t sound like anything else.”
The trailer provides a quick overview of the Band’s history, from their days backing Bob Dylan to their breakout debut album, Music From Big Pink to that all-star farewell concert. The film itself, out February 21st in theaters, employs rare archival footage, photographs from the era, the Band’s music, and interviews with Robertson, as well as Springsteen, Clapton, Scorsese, Van Morrison, and others.
“Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band is a confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robertson’s young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music — the Band,” Magnolia Pictures said of the documentary. “The film is a moving story of Robertson’s personal journey, overcoming adversity and finding camaraderie alongside the four other men who would become his brothers in music, together making their mark on music history.”
The documentary initially premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival before being partnered with executive producers Scorsese, Brian Grazer, and Ron Howard for its theatrical release next month.