Made in Sheffield

Colour, DVD
United Kingdom, 2004, 52 min
Section: 2005: A Musical Odyssey
Oficiální stránky: www.sheffieldvision.com

Synopsis

“The best post-punk music in Europe was always electronic music and, for five years, the best electronic music came from Sheffield”, states the maker of this film, Eve Wood. Made in Sheffield documents the evolution of the Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Heaven 17 and ABC, who emerged from Sheffield’s music scene in the late 1970s. Their dream was to destroy rock music. The result was the creation of something else: some of the most influential sounds in pop music, including today’s output. The film uses rare archive footage, soundtracks and exclusive interviews with the famous, the almost famous and the not famous at all. It shows us Sheffield fanzines, nightclubs, weird bands, DIY record labels, and all the ambition and creativity which made that time so special. Loaded with endearing moments and humour, the film captures the essence of the seldom portrayed aftermath of punk and the spirit of the early 1980s British new wave movement. Featuring Phil Oakey (Human League), Jarvis Cocker (Pulp) and legendary BBC DJ John Peel whose life-long drive for fresh-faced music was cut short last year.

About the director

Eve Wood (The Netherlands) grew up in Amsterdam and moved to Sheffield five years ago. She worked for television but her first film for wider distribution, Made in Sheffield, came out on DVD in Great Britain (2004) and the USA (2005); it had a number of favourable reviews and instigated a broader debate on the music and identity of Sheffield.