Mistaken for Strangers

Director: Tom Berninger Stars: The National, Tom Berninger On its face, Mistaken for Strangers, seems like it will be your standard rock documentary. The film, filmed and directed by lead singer Matt Berninger's younger brother Tom, follows the band on their 2010 tour for the album High Violet, on which he was hired as a roadie. It soon becomes clear that the movie is more about Tom himself than it is about his brother's band. Although he's hired as a roadie, he devotes his time while on the tour to filming and partying, eventually leading to him getting fired. He returns to his parents' home in Cincinnati, intent on discovering himself and finishing the film. The film was, naturally, screened in the band's hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio at the Esquire Theatre. I had a chance to attend a showing last night, which included a Q&A with Tom and Matt Berninger, and Bryan Devendorf, drummer for the band. The session was, of course, very enlightening and offered some perspective on the film and the circumstances surrounding it.

Mini soundtrack:

The National - "Mr. November"
The National - "I Should Live in Salt"
Rob Halford - "O Holy Night"