Filmmakers Nikolaos Katranis and Russell Craig Richardson are working on a what they’re billing as a four-part documentary series on post-punk music, based on Simon Reynolds’ definitive 2005 book “Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984” — and they’ve shared a 16-minute “proof-of-concept” trailer showcasing some of the interviews they’ve done. You can watch it above.
The filmmakers write:
The eventual series will combine conversational interviews with musicians and artists who first achieved recognition in the epoch, along with archive performances and current music by the same artists, and a close look at the worldviews and contributions, influences and cultural currents of the people concerned, and how the lessons of post-punk can apply across disciplines today, 40 years later.
The “Rip It Up + Start Again” series is planned to cover “the post-punk scenes of the years 1978-82, using Simon Reynolds’ book ‘Rip It Up and Start Again’ as a roadmap,” the filmmakers write. The trailer features interviews with members of The Pop Group, The Raincoats, This Heat, Swell Maps, A Certain Ratio, Young Marble Giants, Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, The Fall, Einstürzende Neubauten, Public Image Ltd. and more.
The filmmakers have additional interviews with members of The B-52s, Clock DVA, The Virgin Prunes, Pere Ubu, Sonic Youth, Wire, Gang of Four, The Associates, Ultravox and more. They’re also hoping to talk to musicians from Joy Division, Talking Heads, The Birthday Party, DAF, Scritti Politti and more.
It’s not yet clear when the documentary series, brought to our attention by Brooklyn Vegan, is expected to be finished and how it might be distributed and seen by the public.
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