The National announce 'I Am Easy to Find' film screenings in NYC & L.A.

The National had a “Special Evening” at Beacon Theatre on Monday where they not only played their entire new album, I Am Easy to Find, but also screened its accompanying film which was directed by Mike Mills:

The evening started with a viewing of I Am Easy to Find‘s short film, which was directed by Mike Mills and stars Alicia Vikander as the nameless woman whose life we follow in a series of artfully depicted vignettes and fragments. Shot lovingly in black and white, with solid pops of color serving as dividers between scenes, I Am Easy to Find exudes a sort of hazy timelessness: phones have cords, no one’s holding a smartphone, we see no signs of computers. I was unsure at first of the central conceit of the 30-year-old actress playing the film’s main character from childhood to old age, but it works within the bounds of the film, which is genuinely moving, especially towards the end. It’s all soundtracked by alternate versions of songs from the new album, crashing up against each other as they propel the film, which is mostly without dialogue, along.

The National have just announced I Am Easy to Find film screenings in NYC and L.A. on May 7. The NYC screening happens at BAM Rose Cinema and is paired with a screening of tour documentary Mistaken for Strangers (tickets). The L.A. screening happens at The Theatre at Ace Hotel DTLA and includes a Q&A with Mike Mills, plus an early listen of the album (tickets).

I Am Easy to Find, the album, is out May 17 via 4AD. Watch the film’s trailer below.