Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson

Home of the Brave serves as a live concert film directed by Laurie Anderson, capturing a performance at Park Theater in Union City New Jersey in 1985. Rather than a straightforward recital, the film presents Anderson moving between keyboard textures, spoken fragments and hypnotic vocal lines, while a cast of collaborators shapes the sound. The program carefully gathers pieces from her 1984 Mister Heartbreak and selections from the 1983 United States show, pairing them with a collage of moving images, experimental animation and choreographed movement. On screen you see a mix of electronics, filmic textures, and stagecraft that turn the night into a multiplex of ideas rather than a single song. The result is a kinetic experience that invites watching.

Directed by Laurie Anderson and released in 1986 worldwide, Home of the Brave draws on material from her 1984 Mister Heartbreak and the 1983 United States show. The performance was filmed at the Park Theater in Union City New Jersey today.

Box office data for Home of the Brave are not publicly reported, reflecting its status as a niche experimental release rather than a wide commercial run. The film circulated through art houses, festivals and limited screenings rather than mainstream cinemas.

In the realm of experimental cinema and performance art, this film stands as proof that sound, image and motion can fuse into a screen event. William S Burroughs appears with musicians like Adrian Belew, giving the piece a surreal aura that resonates in avant garde circles and influences concert cinema.

Critics respond to the blend of sound and image with curiosity, noting how the concert uses motion graphics and electronics to expand the idea of a live performance. The work centers on technology, language and identity, presenting performance itself as a multimedia act rather than a simple recital for audiences.