Wednesday, April 29th, 2015
Presenting their film to the public for the first time, students in Dixie State University's documentary production class are hosting a special premiere event for their documentary film "The Devil and The Angel," a story about passion, adventure and a special violin.
The documentary will be screened at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, at Red Cliffs Cinema, 1750 E. Red Cliff Drive in St. George. Immediately after the film, the student filmmakers and the film's subject, Kevin Lee, will participate in a question-and-answer session. Admission is free and the entire community is invited to attend.
Directed by Kat Lee, the film follows master luthier Kevin Lee as he strives to create the perfect violin. A master virtuoso and craftsman, Kevin Lee has made more than 140 violins, violas and cellos for musicians all over the world. Shot at his shop in Leeds, "The Devil and the Angel" shares Kevin Lee's intricate process of selecting and carving the wood for this instrument as well as inlaying and varnishing the violin.
Armed with the secrets and skills the Stradivari and Guarneri families used when making their famous violins in the 1700s and technology far beyond what the old masters had, Kevin Lee aims to make the finest violin that has ever existed — complete with an elegantly inlaid image of an angel on the back. The angelic image has symbolic meaning, as historically, violin players and makers were rumored to have sold their souls to the devil in order to master their craft. As a result, the violin has earned the moniker "the devil's instrument."
The film takes both music lovers and those who have never considered where a violin comes from on a journey through the mystery, fantasy, passion, madness and romanticism of a master luthier and his love affair with an angel, the devil's instrument.
Tickets to the screening are free and are available at the door or in advance at www.eventbrite.com/e/the-devil-and-the-angel-documentary-premier-tickets-16662993462. Donations are welcome to help defray the cost of the film's production and can be made at the event or by contacting Phil Tuckett at tuckett@utahtech.edu.
