We’re thrilled to announce the FULL slate of films for for the 2024 IN-EDIT NL Music Documentary Festival. Following our initial announcement and opening film, these selections span the range of genre with world, EU, and Dutch premieres found throughout.
Back Then: The Story Of Live Music In Bombay
Anindita Dutta Roy, Abhishek Chandran/2023/India/55 min./World Premiere
Back Then – The Story of Live Music in Bombay is a documentary that takes us back 30 years to explore the sounds of the Bombay/Mumbai’s musical counterculture as it was. It puts you into the shoes of its mercurial artists, the passionate folks behind the scenes, and the misfits who went to gigs through the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s. The film puts a spotlight on what happened in the shadowy world of underground live music and answers questions like what it meant to watch an artist live in 1994, what it’s like today, and what kind of underground music was played in 2006. Over its runtime, the film cruises through real and rare DIY stories all the way from the 1990s right up to 2023.
Holland Pop 1970
Ferri Ronteltap/2024/Netherlands/71 min./World Premiere
June 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of the Holland Pop Festival in Rotterdam’s Kralingse Bos. Known as the European answer to Woodstock, the festival was a milestone in European music history. It was the first large-scale event in Europe where visitors could stay overnight on the festival grounds. Over three days, almost 100,000 people gathered, driven by an atmosphere of love, peace, and happiness, to listen to legendary bands such as Santana, Jefferson Airplane, and Pink Floyd. In this documentary on the historic event, former organisers are interviewed, among others, and Director Ferri Ronteltap collects archive footage to paint a vivid picture of this special period in music history.
Carlos
Rudy Valdez/2023/USA/87 min.
From his early days in Mexico learning the violin at 5 and embracing the guitar at 8, Carlos Santana swiftly grew into a guitar virtuoso. By 14, he was a street musician, soon forming his own band as a teenager. At 22, just before releasing his acclaimed first album, Santana’s performance at Woodstock on August 16, 1969, cemented his status as a music legend. Over five decades, the 10-time Grammy winner and recipient of prestigious awards like the Kennedy Center Honor and the Billboard Century award has been a pivotal figure in music, merging jazz, blues, Mariachi, and rock with a spiritual essence. This documentary, directed by two-time Emmy winner Rudy Valdez, combines new interviews, unseen archival footage, and personal recordings by Santana to offer a rich, intimate portrait of a music icon known for his unique rhythm and sound.
Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain
Estevan Oriol/2022/USA/89 min./EU Premiere
Experience the legendary group Cypress Hill like never before, captured through the intimate lens of photographer and director Estevan Oriol (LA Originals). This smoke-filled journey takes you through the lives and careers of this groundbreaking, genre-defying Hip Hop group. Discover their unique sound, rooted in their Latin roots and West Coast upbringing, and witness how they created a movement based on true authenticity. Their influence is forever etched into the musical landscape of Hip Hop, even after more than 30 years.
Zef: The Story of Die Antwoord
Jon Day/2023/South Africa/90 min./EU Premiere
Discover the captivating story of the enigmatic rap-rave group, Die Antwoord, in a documentary crafted over the past 5 years by South African producer/director Jon Day. This unique film, featuring artistic direction by surrealist photographer Roger Ballen, invites you into the intriguing universe of Die Antwoord. Narrated by Ninja & ¥o-landi’s daughter, 16 Jones, this documentary provides an in-depth look into the creative forces behind the group and the world they inhabit.
Efterklang: The Makedonium Band
Andreas Johnsen/2024/Denmark, North Macedonia/81 min./Dutch Premiere
The Danish band Efterklang has come up with an idea. They want to go to North Macedonia and in just one week – with the assistance of their longtime local friend Grga – create a spectacular performance in collaboration with local musicians, right in front of the architecturally stunning Makedonium freedom monument. The three musicians have hardly planned anything else, as they land in the capital Skopje and immediately begin distributing flyers to recruit band members for their new adventure. The project takes them out of the capital, into the countryside, up into the mountains, and all the way to the political top in their search for allies and the country’s unique folk music culture.
Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird
Nicolas Jack Davies/2023/Germany/127 min./Dutch Premiere
“If this ever gets weird, promise me we can just stop, as nothing is more important than loving you.” These were the words of Omar Rodríguez-López to his childhood friend Cedric Bixler-Zavala in January 2000, on the eve of recording a breakthrough album that would change their lives forever. This pact held for a decade, only to be shattered by deception, Scientology, and betrayal, leading to a decade-long effort to mend their friendship. This documentary explores their journey from immigrant outsiders to rock icons with The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In, through Omar’s lens over 40 years, capturing their artistic endeavors and the personal struggles that intertwined with their careers. It’s a narrative of friendship, creativity, and the tumultuous path to forgiveness and redemption, addressing themes of success, addiction, and grief.
Voev
Bilyana Kirilova/2022/Bulgaria/76 min./Dutch Premiere
Immerse yourself in the compelling journey of Dimitar Voev, a Bulgarian underground artist whose fearless lyrics and music challenged the oppressive constraints of the country’s totalitarian socialist regime in the late 80s. This documentary explores Voev’s courageous stand against political oppression during a turbulent era of transition. His distinctive style became a symbol for an entire generation, defiantly rejecting the regime’s authority. Through profound metaphors, Voev’s artistry reflects the universal quest for freedom, resonating powerfully even in today’s world.
Zucchero – Sugar Fornaciari
Giangiacomo de Stefano, Valentina Zanella/2023/Italy/90 min/Dutch Premiere
Exclusive footage from his private archives and his triumphant world tour plus testimonies of friends like Bono, Sting, Andrea Bocelli, Francesco Guccini and many others shape the narrative about one of the greatest bluesmen of all time: Zucchero. His story contains the emotions of a child uprooted from his land, his tenacity to achieve international success, his strength to face years of depression and finally manage to return to his roots. A journey of the soul that goes beyond the portrait of a successful musician, delving into the doubts and vulnerabilities of a man who, unable to fight the devil within himself, chose to have fun together.
Cyndi Lauper: Let The Canary Sing
Alison Ellwood/2023/USA,UK/96 min.
A vibrant and upbeat documentary about 1980s pop sensation Cyndi Lauper. It traces her journey from humble beginnings in a Catholic Sicilian family in the Queens neighbourhood and her first blues-rock group, Blue Angel, to the creation of her own stage persona – eccentric, outspoken, and deliberately naive – that rocketed her to stardom in the new wave era with hits like Girls Just Want to Have Fun and She Bop (addressing female masturbation). It also explores her remarkable ability to reinvent herself in music and theatre, taking a stand against industry demands and various forms of intolerance as a feminist and LGBTQ+ rights activist.
Fatboy Slim: Right Here Right Now
Jak Hutchcraft/2023/UK/89 min
Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) captains this chronicle of the day when 250,000 people descended upon Brighton Beach to attend his famous free rave Big Beach Boutique II. A fine excuse to explore his hometown’s music scene, revisit his career as the bassist of The Housemartins to superstar DJ and big beat gold standard and above all, to reminisce about this hedonistic and chaotic milestone that forever changed the way large-scale gatherings in the UK were managed.
Indigo Girls: It’s Only Life After All
Alexandria Bombach/2023/USA/123 min.
With forty years of making music as the iconic folk-rock band Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have made their mark as musicians, songwriters, and dedicated activists. They have represented radical self-acceptance to many, leading multiple generations of fans to say, “the Indigo Girls saved my life.” Still, Amy and Emily battled misogyny, homophobia, and a harsh cultural climate chastising them for not fitting into a female pop star mold. With joy, humor, and heart-warming earnestness, Sundance award-winning director Alexandria Bombach brings us into a contemporary conversation with Amy and Emily—alongside decades of the band’s home movies and intimate present-day verité.
Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero
Carlos López Estrada, Zac Manuel/2023/USA/95 min.
After Old Town Road fused genres to great acclaim, Lil Nas X ignited debates with his bold portrayal of Black, queer sexuality, leaving fans and critics divided over whether he was a genius, provocateur, or social media savant. Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero documents his first tour—a journey of music, theater, and dance that’s deeply personal and challenging. The film captures his battles against homophobia and his quest for acceptance, notably from his family, amidst a backdrop of sold-out shows. This intimate look at his 60-day odyssey not only explores his legacy alongside other Black, queer artists but also stands as a beacon of self-acceptance, impacting music fans, the queer community, and youth—a powerful narrative of overcoming and belonging, showcasing Lil Nas X’s journey with his chosen family of dancers and friends, inspiring self-love and acceptance across generations.
Rock Chicks – I Am Not Female To You
Marita Stocker/2023/Germany/78 min
Could the real monarchs of rock ‘n’ roll queens, not kings? Delve into the sonic legacy where Memphis Minnie’s guitar prowess echoes in legends like Chuck Berry, Sister Rosetta’s fiery spirit ignites Jerry Lee Lewis, and Big Mama Thornton’s raw vocal power is mirrored in Elvis Presley. Despite women rocking the stage since the 1950s, their monumental contributions have faded from collective memory. Rock Chicks – I Am Not Female To You embarks on a journey to spotlight these forgotten heroines of rock music, each a pioneer with a unique story of defiance and dedication.
Violist zonder Viool
Bob Entrop/2023/Netherlands/60 min.
Violist zonder Viool unfolds the heartfelt story of Nello Mirando Weis, at 67, the former first violinist of the acclaimed Royal Gypsy Orchestra Tata Mirando, who has mastered the strings with only two and a half fingers due to a congenital condition. This narrative, a continuation of his story from the documentary Gypsy Music Hurts filmed 15 years prior, dives into Nello’s subsequent battle with his illness, leading to his heart-wrenching departure from music. Residing in an apartment in Arnhem, he recounts a life riddled with personal demons—addiction, divorce, and neglect of his children—only to discover, in the quiet twilight of his years, that life holds melodies beyond music. It’s in the embrace of his family and the act of teaching through his voice that Nello finds a new concert to conduct, even as fate dials in with news of potential surgery, introducing a poignant twist to his already compelling saga.
