Songwriter

Ed Sheeran up close, in a sweaty t-shirt after a performance, far away from raving fans and the stage. This personal portrait of the British singer-songwriter, filmed by his cousin Murray Cummings, follows this modest performer’s creative process as he writes a new song from scratch that will entrance millions. From an early-morning jam in the garden to the finished song, from the first chord to the honed lyrics. Whether we are observing the tension during a recording session at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, Ed’s collaboration with producer Benny Blanco, Ed crossing the ocean on the Queen Mary 2 because of Benny’s fear of flying, or paying a visit to his first musical mentor at his old high school, Cummings lets us hear from the people that know Ed best. Showing us photos and family, he makes use of his own memories and the various stages of Ed’s development to create a portrait of a man obsessed by music. The film eschews the celebrity hype to concentrate on the intensive work on the current album in California’s creative quarter, providing us with intimate insights into the workings of this musician as he navigates between his own artistic aspirations and the demands of the music industry.
by Murray Cummings United Kingdom 2017 English 84’ Colour World premiere | Documentary form

Crew

Written and Directed by Murray Cummings
Editing Ben Wainwright-Pearce, Murray Cummings, Alejandro Reyes-Knight
Producers Kimmie Kim, Murray Cummings
Executive Producers Stuart Camp, Stefan Demetriou

Produced by

Murray Pictures

Murray Cummings

Born in London, UK in 1984, he is a director, screenwriter, songwriter and composer. He has a master’s degree in screenwriting from Royal Holloway, University of London. He is best known for his collaboration with his cousin, the musician Ed Sheeran and has writing credits on the music videos for ‘Galway Girl’ and ‘Perfect’. The documentary Songwriter is his debut film.

Filmography

2017 Songwriter; documentary

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2018