Unless you’re an avid music lover who keeps tabs on music industry happenings behind the scenes, chances are that the names Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell won’t ring a bell to you. Neither of them has ever played a note in their lives, but their collaborations as photographic geniuses made them a tour de force in the industry as their creations graced the album covers of top music acts of the 70s from Paul McCartney to Led Zeppelin. Celebrated photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn captured their inspiring story in a documentary titled, Squaring the Circle which is set to release in select theaters.
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Following premieres at the 2022 Telluride Film Festival and this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Squaring the Circle will next head to theaters beginning with New York’s Film Forum on June 7th and later to Los Angeles’ Laemmle Royal from June 16. According to the newly released trailer, Squaring the Circle will present a piece of musical history dating back to the 60s, a time when digital graphics were non-existent and artists only had access to analog equipment for creativity. At the time, Thorgerson and Po became visionaries whose offbeat approach made them an integral part of the rise of a new pop culture era.

Thorgerson and Po started their journey with the formation of their art studio called Hipgnosis and scored the British rock band, Pink Floyd (made up of their schoolmates) as their first client. The pair achieved unprecedented success by introducing groundbreaking photo modifications that redefined the art of photography. Their creativity and ingenuity became synonymous with the artistic identity of 70s rock icons such as Peter Gabriel, Led Zeppelin, and Paul McCartney, cementing their status as rock royalty. Squaring the Circle will feature interviews with these rock stars including 10cc’s Graham Gouldman, and Oasis’ Noel Gallagher. The documentary film will dive deep into their success story covering the highs and lows and how they navigated the challenges of the time.

Image via Photagonist

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Squaring the Circle Is Anton Corbijn’s First Feature Documentary
While Anton Corbijn is best recognized for photographing iconic portraits of music stars and giving creative direction for their music videos, he’s no stranger to directing movies. However, Squaring the Circle will mark his first time directing a feature-length documentary. He made his feature film directorial debut with Control (2007) and has since directed The American, starring George Clooney as well as, A Most Wanted Man, and Life.

Corbijn revealed in an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub that the concept for the documentary was sold to him by Po (the only surviving member of Hipgnosis) and that it was an easy yes because of his passion for photography and music. Squaring the Circle was written by Trish D Chetty and produced by Chetty, Ged Doherty, and Oscar-winning actor, Colin Firth.

Squaring the Circle will release on June 7th at New York’s Film Forum and on Friday, June 16th in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Royal. You can watch the trailer down below.