The Nomi Song

A film By Andrew Horn

Media Luna Entertainment

Web: http://www.medialuna-entertainment.de

Klaus Nomi was an enigmatic 1980s new wave singer who seems to have vanished from history. He was a flamboyant, stylish diva who mixed all manner of styles into a unique stage persona. His image was quite unique - an alien presence mixed with German decadence, Opera with New Wave, images from 1950’s Science Fiction with gender bending androgyny. He presented himself as a new wave opera singer from another world and certainly looked the part, he achieved quite some fame, even notoriety, yet because he was so much of an outsider, history has not been especially kind. The Nomi Song tries to remedy this injustice and achieves so admirably, this is a marvelous documentary and a emotional experience.

It is sad to think that such an artiste, one of the first celebrities to die of AIDS, has not been more remembered. In many ways this film is a reflection of the fear that gripped the gay community during the first waves of AIDS deaths. (Then only known as the Gay cancer) Nomi was invited by David Bowie to perform on Saturday Night Live, which skyrocketed his popularity in Europe and New York. However, in a sad twist of fate, just as he was gaining the recognition of his craft, he was diagnosed with AIDS and died the following year. The end of the film is emotionally painful and reminds us of the terror many felt during the earliest stages of the AIDS epidemic. It is particularly moving to hear three of his closest friends recall his last days, and how they failed to visit him as he was dying due to their own fear and torment. These interviews are hard to forget and I reflected on them for many days following watching this film.

At the same time, this is not a morbid documentary; there is balance between the sadness of his death and issues surrounding AIDS with the beauty and glamour of his unusual life and stage persona. The film traces Nomi’s birth in Germany during World War II and how his childhood obsession with opera (especially Maria Callas) inspired the evolution of his stage persona into a performing alien sent from outer space to save the human race. His stage act combined performance art and music and became a significant part of the New Wave movement in Greenwich Village, New York. Nomi, not surprisingly, gained an immediate cult following and signed a deal with a major European record label. The catchy tunes and bizarre outsider lyrics struck a chord with so many listeners, as did his striking image. The image of a gender variant being from another planet, alone and alienated on planet earth has so many resonances within the life experience of many people of the time and to a great extent still does today. His message of loss and difference still reverberates through time.

This fascinating film is packed with interviews with Nomi’s friends and collaborators and gives an intimate glimpse of both the stage persona Nomi and the man himself Klaus Sperber. Interviews include performance artist Ann Magnuson and painter Kenny Scharf, who befriended the singer while he lived in New York.

The music on the DVD is superb and includes four remixes of Nomi songs by electronic artists influenced by Nomi’s work. Other extras on the disc give background on the New Wave musical movement from which Nomi emerged and further information on Nomi himself.

This is a powerful and moving documentary; it is presented in a unique way which avoids narration and external comment and allows the footage and interviews to speak for itself. This allows the viewer to really experience the life, vision and dreams of Nomi and the loss caused by his early death. Andrew Horn is to be commended for creating such a unique documentary experience.