Arena: Dylan in the Madhouse

In December 1962, at that time the severest winter since time immemorial, a young Bob Dylan came to London and mingled with the folk singers who were catching on back then. Director Philip Saville heard him and knew for sure: Dylan had to play a role in the TV drama , written by Evan Jones. In the piece, "Castle" referred to England and "Madhouse" to the way in which vulnerable people were left to fend for themselves. In January 1963, it would be one of the most remarkable programmes on the BBC, which after all broadcast primarily risk-free programmes in its first decade. Since Dylan could not act, one of the main roles was split up into an actor and a singer. Dylan sang four of his songs and after the broadcast, "Blowing in the Wind" would grow into one of the most famous songs of all time. Dylan himself does not look back on this episode in the documentary. The writer, the director and others who worked with him delve into their memories and, helped by archival footage depicting the legendary cold winter of 1963, they bring this unique production back to life. Meanwhile, the filmmakers successfully look for audio recordings of the TV drama, as the BBC did not preserve the footage.