Associate Producer / Assistant Editor
BRAND: A Second Coming - Documentary Feature
Directed by Ondi Timoner
Opening Night Film - SXSW 2015
Every day of our lives, from the minute we can be marketed to, the myth that becoming famous will make our lives complete, or consuming a certain something will be the answer, is chucked down our throats. Yet, the reality is that the medium ain’t the message. You become famous for what you do, and therefore it’s what you do that matters. This crucial element is overlooked entirely by whole generations of drones who worship at the wrong altar. Russell Brand is a troubled visionary who embraced the superficial and doped up times in which we live, only to find it was an empty proposition. He started a search for meaning, which lead him to dig out his heroes: Gandhi, Malcolm X, Jesus and Ché Guevara – to look at why they did what they did, how they did what they did, and in what ways he might be a little bit like them. He starts writing about them: They are all willing to die for what they believe in, all immortal and timeless due to their singular and unwavering dedication to their cause. This becomes the Messiah Complex show, where Brand skillfully balances philosophy, history and humor, and he embarks on his first-ever world tour. This feature documentary follows his spiritual and biographical narrative through the unfolding journey of this tour and the evolution of this important show and the showman behind it.
Alexander Hadden was an Associate Producer and Assistant Editor on “BRAND: A Second Coming”.