Bring On the Night (film)

Bring On the Night is a 1985 documentary film directed by Michael Apted, focusing on the jazz-inspired project and band led by the British musician Sting during the early stages of his solo career and first solo tour. Some of the songs in the film appeared on his debut solo album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Unusually for a documentary, Apted shot the film in 35 mm, focusing primarily on band rehearsals, musician interactions, and interviews with every musician in the band. The film won the Grammy Award for "Best Music Video, Long Form" at the 1987 Grammy Awards.

Much of the film takes place inside the French Château de Courson outside of Paris, where the band met, lived and rehearsed for nine days. Near the end of the film the band plays their first concert at Théâtre Mogador in Paris. The final scene shows Sting attending his wife Trudie Styler as she gives birth to Jake, their second child and Sting's fourth. Sting said he "resisted" Apted's suggestion of filming the birth, but then he "realized there's a tenuous link between the band being born and the baby, so it fit."

The New York Times noted that Sting appeared "aloof" and "elitist" at the beginning of the film, but loosened up with his new black bandmates through a series of rehearsals. Sting's "pushy" manager Miles Copeland III is seen frequently in the film, complaining about the backing vocalists, and venting his displeasure to Colleen Atwood, the costume designer.

The film was released as DVD in 2005.

The film was named after the Police song "Bring On the Night" (1979), it is also the title of Sting's 1986 live album featuring music recorded during the 1985 tour chronicled in the film.

Cast
Apted is heard in the film, asking interview questions, but he is not visible or credited. Seen on screen:
 * Miles Copeland III – Sting's manager
 * Gil Friesen – president of A&M Records, executive producer
 * Vic Garbarini – organizer of the band, A&R with A&M Records
 * Omar Hakim – drummer
 * Darryl Jones – bass guitarist
 * Kenny Kirkland – keyboardist
 * Branford Marsalis – saxophonist
 * Dolette McDonald – backing vocalist
 * Janice Pendarvis – backing vocalist
 * Lou Salvatore – crew
 * Sting – bandleader, vocalist, guitarist
 * Trudie Styler – Sting's wife
 * Kim Turner – Sting's right-hand man, logistics manager
 * Colleen Atwood – costume designer
 * Max Vadukul – portrait photographer
 * Jake Sumner – Sting's newborn son

Production

 * Michael Apted – director
 * David Manson – producer
 * Ferdinando Scarfiotti – production designer
 * Ralf D. Bode – cinematographer
 * Robert K. Lambert and Melvin Shapiro – editors