8/17/2007
"In Control To The End."
As Anton Corbijn's film Control premiered in Edinburgh tonight, the thoughts of all those present were focused on one man. And though the film itself is the emotionally-charged biopic of tragic Joy Division legend Ian Curtis, those thoughts will be of another who looms large in the action - Tony Wilson.
Wilson, who is credited as co-producer of Control, died one week ago today, and as a mark of respect to the man who first signed Joy Division, establishing Factory Records in the process, the screening tonight went ahead in tribute to him.
The film, the directorial debut of rock photographer and Joy Division fan Anton Corbijn, is continuing to cause a stir after its award-winning entry at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.
At the heart of that buzz is the startling debut from Sam Riley as the Joy Division singer. Sam and his co-stars playing Joy Division band members Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris, all performed the songs featured in the film. The film, based on Deborah Curtis's memoirs of life with Ian, will get a Manchester premiere on October 4, before going on general release in the UK and America later that week.
The funeral of Tony Wilson, "one of the most significant figures in British music," will take place in Manchester next Monday, it has been announced.
It will be open to family and close friends via invitation only, although there are understood to be plans for a separate memorial service.
Charitable donations can be made to The Christie Hospital in Manchester online at Christies.org/makedonations.html or via post to:
Appeals Office
Christie Hospital NHS Trust
Wilmslow Road
Withington
Manchester
M20 4BX
Photo: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Material: manchestereveningnews.co.uk & uk.news.launch.yahoo.com