The Silent World of Hector Mann (2010)

For his latest album, Belfast native, Duke Special, traveled to Chicago to make a recording inspired by the 12 silent films of the 1920's filmmaker, Hector Mann. Teaming up with renown studio engineer, Steve Albini, Duke Special also recruited 11 other songwriters for the project, including The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon and Aqualung's Matt Hales, with each artist tackling a separate film, resulting in an eclectic and highly enjoyable mix of pre-rock 'n' roll songs. But the catch is... Hector Mann isn't real. He and his films are rather the creation of Brooklyn author, Paul Auster, in his acclaimed 2002 novel, 'The Book of Illusions.' It's a tale of art inspiring art, and this documentary only hopes to push the illusion even further...