A trailer has been released for Ellroy vs. L.A., the latest documentary from director Francesco Zippel (Friedkin Uncut). Focusing on author James Ellroy (The Black Dahlia, L.A. Confidential), the doc "features an exclusive interview and archival material to examine Ellroy's personal and professional relationship with the city," the Film Stage reported.
The synopsis: "A dark journey into the mind of noir master James Ellroy. Through an exclusive interview and archival materials, the documentary intertwines his personal and artistic story with his unique vision of Los Angeles: the city where he was born, source of his traumas and an endless reservoir of events, crimes, and characters that became the foundation of his literary masterpieces. Ellroy's rhythmic, jazz-inflected narration alternates with the sounds of the legendary Italian band Calibro 35."
Zippel said Ellroy vs. L.A. "is the result of a personal desire: to get to the heart of the troubled relationship between James Ellroy and the city that created him and forever marked him. When I decided to make this documentary, I knew that interviews alone would not suffice. I wanted to create an imaginary conversation between Ellroy and Los Angeles, a dialogue in which the city responds, retorts, sometimes contradicts, sometimes amplifies the writer's words. I searched for the voice of L.A. in films, in archival material, in images that carry the specter of an era. I wanted this film to be a journey into the unbreakable bond that exists between the writer and his city, which in their constant pursuit of one another end up blurring into one another."