DokStation Music Documentary Film Festival kicks off in Bucharest
DokStation Music Documentary Film Festival, the only festival in Romania dedicated to music documentaries, will take place from September 18-22 in various venues in Bucharest: Control Club, Apollo111, Expirat, and Grădina cu Filme.
The eighth edition of the festival brings 29 documentaries to the public, most of them national premieres, featuring and about music legends such as The Rolling Stones, Simple Minds, José Feliciano, Neil Young, Freddie Mercury, Bruce Springsteen, ABBA, Cyndi Lauper, Mogwai, Pete Doherty, The Black Keys, Blur, and many more.
The first day of the festival, Wednesday, September 18, brings six national premiere music documentaries: Simple Minds: Everything Is Possible (2023), about one of the most beloved Scottish bands, and This Is a Film About The Black Keys (2024) – followed by a Q&A with director Jeff Dupre – at Control Club.
Cyndi Lauper: Let The Canary Sing (2023) and Teaches of Peaches (2024) explore music and activism from a feminist perspective at Apollo111 Theatre. The evening closes with two documentaries about rock legends Neil Young and Zucchero at Grădina cu Filme.
DokStation continues on Thursday, September 19, at Control Club with the documentary Éthiopiques Suite Magnétique (2023) about the largest collection of Ethiopian music, followed by a concert by the Congolese band Fulu Miziki, known for their afro-futuristic punk sound and energetic live shows using improvised instruments made from recycled objects. The lesser-known side of ABBA’s success will be shown in the latest documentary about the famous Swedish band, followed by Michel Gondry’s feature-length Do It Yourself (2023), about the magic of music videos.
At Grădina cu Filme, rock legends Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones will tell their stories through two national premiere documentaries, while fans of Blur are expected at Expirat – Halele Carol. The evening ends with the screening of Free Party: A Folk History (2023), about the largest illegal rave parties in British history, at 8:30 PM at Expirat.
Friday, September 20, the third day of the festival brings documentaries about beloved bands Efterklang and Mogwai at Control Club and the controversial Die Antwoord at Expirat. At Grădina cu Filme, the documentary 35,000 Watts – The Story of College Radio follows the visionaries and rebels on American campuses who changed the course of music history and left a strong cultural impact. The evening ends with a documentary about the legendary Puerto Rican musician José Feliciano, followed by a Q&A with director Helen Murphy.
DokStation continues on Saturday, September 21, with documentaries about British rocker Pete Doherty (The Libertines) and Swedish musician José González at Expirat, while fans of Céline Dion and Freddie Mercury are expected at Grădina cu Filme. At Apollo111, there is an evening dedicated to 90s music and pop culture, with documentaries about iconic artists from the period: Vanilla Ice (screening + Q&A) and Milli Vanilli. The night concludes with a concert by Liraz, the queen of Persian electro-pop, making her debut in Bucharest at 9 PM at Control Club.
Sunday, September 22, the final day of the DokStation Music Documentary Film Festival, brings documentaries about musicians and iconic moments from alternative culture at Control Club, as well as an in memoriam event for Nicu Covaci at Grădina cu Filme.
(Photo source: the organisers)
