Movies and TvShows featuring "the-national" theme.

The National performed at the New York's historic Beacon Theatre to present their 2019 album and short film project I Am Easy To Find. This concert documentary includes a complete performance of that album, as well as guest appearances from the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Julien Baker, Mina Tindle, Kate Stables and the American Contemporary Music Ensemble.

Icelandic artist and musician Ragnar Kjartansson’s often intensely durational performance-based works manifest a rare synthesis of pathos and humor. A Lot of Sorrow is both a music video and an extended concert film, in which Brooklyn-based band the National performs its three-and-a-half minute ballad “Sorrow” on repeat for six hours. The band’s music and lyrics frequently conjure notions of romantic suffering and melancholy—themes common to Kjartansson’s emotive, theatrical work. As the hours pass and fatigue sets in, the musicians subtly alter their song; the original track is always recognizable but is also shown to be elastic and expressive rather than rigid. Kjartansson is sometimes visible in the role of roadie, offering water and food to the performers throughout the concert. Multiple camera angles grant the viewer access to both the perspective of the musicians and that of the audience, as the band and the crowd feed off each other’s energy with every repetition.

Mistaken for Strangers is a comedic documentary that follows an amateur filmmaker who is mistaken for a roadie on a concert tour. As he navigates the backstage world of a rock band, he captures the ups and downs of life on the road while also exploring his own family dynamics. With a handheld camera, he captures raw and funny moments, showcasing the challenges and joys of being part of the music industry.