LEONARD COHEN - I am a Hotel (1983)

Complete high quality version.

"I Am a Hotel is a 1983 Canadian made for TV short musical film, written by Leonard Cohen and Mark Shekter and directed by Allan F. Nicholls.
The storyline is based around imaginary events in the King Edward Hotel in Toronto, and the guests' (usually romantic) interactions with each other.

Leonard Cohen had the idea for the film based upon his personal experiences and his song The Guests. It was originally intended for the Canadian pay TV network C-Channel, but when the network collapsed, the production was completed by City TV with financial assistance from Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the Canadian Film Development Corporation.

Scenes:

Cohen features frequently, as an amused bystander ('the Resident'). Extensive dance routines in scenes 2 and 3 were choreographed by Ann(e) Ditchburn, who also dances as the Gypsy wife in scene 3. There are five scenes, each based around a Cohen song.

1. THE GUESTS (in which the characters enter via the lobby and are taken to their rooms; The bellboy and chambermaid meet in the corridor; and the manager and his wife apparently have angry words in the lobby after which she strides off).

2. MEMORIES (in which the bellboy pursues the chambermaid around the laundry and ballroom).

3. THE GYPSY WIFE (in which the manager's wife, in fetching attire, dances on the boardroom table).

4 CHELSEA HOTEL # 2 (in which the two lovers try, and fail, to make love, and the admiral and diva at last face each other across the hallway).

5 SUZANNE (in which scenes of Suzanne with Cohen are interspersed with shots of the two couples reunited and dancing together, and the hotel manager distraught and then drinking at the bar).

A short epilogue repeats the opening material from 'The Guests'.
The final credits give the makers as 'Blue Memorial Video Ltd' and dedicate the piece to David Blue (1941-1982).

Cast:

Leonard Cohen as The Resident
Celia Franca as The Diva
Alberta Watson as Suzanne
Toller Cranston as The Manager
Claudia Moore as Chambermaid
Daniel Allman as Young Lover
Samantha Logan as Young Lover
Robert Desrosiers as The Bellboy
Anne Ditchburn as The Gypsy Wife
Leo Leyden as The Admiral

The film won a Golden Rose international television award at the 1984 Montreux TV festival in Montreux, Switzerland.

• Category

  Music

[AltheaHekate]

Yes, I love you!! I searched for years for this film. I saw it on TV long time ago, it is the best I ever saw on that" little screen" .

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Blessed be;

Althea )0(

[AltheaHekate]

Yes, it totally is! I am so glad I found it here! Thank you, dear uploader!

Blessed Be;

Althea )0(

[Allan Goodyear]

Thanks so much for posting! I remembered watching this on tv but couldn't remember the name & couldn't find it on utube.

Leonard is a true Canadian treasure!!

[suptidity]

priceless. things like this make you realize how beautiful and meaningful life is

[Brent O'Donnell]

I saw the original broadcast in 1983. Thanks for sharing, It was amazing to see it again 30 years later.

[lennycohenfan]

Thanks. Simply the best.



[Lutgart Philips]

supermooi.

[D Bee Edwards]

O K this is really a treasure

[cheflara]

That one dislike does not know anything about ART...has no feelings...it's probably a robot. Please, we are talking about a masterpiece! One of the best if not the best audiovisual experience human beings will ever have!!

[marco brenni]

La più bella e significativa performance di Leonhard Cohen: un video di rarissima qualità artistica !

[massiveham]

saw it 1st time round. won me over to LC 4 life. thanks for post

[Nicknamevanniks]

All my favourites by him in one video. Absolutely amazing.