Little more than a decade had passed since one of the most important events of the 20th century: the United States of America broadcast live on television the first man to walk on the moon. Channeling that same groundbreaking and epic spirit, and using the same media, a handful of young people decided to give the American youth their own moon landing. On August 1, 1981, an era of unbridled rock began on national television: MTV had landed. The world of music and television was hit by an unprecedented music virus that reached every home in the country. Young Americans, from the busiest and biggest cities to the most remote towns, began spending their afternoons with Sting, Pat Benatar, Billy Idol, Annie Lennox or Rod Stewart. The music of their idols began to have faces, looks and an attitude that was online a remote-control away from them.
The duo of filmmakers that produced this documentary show their willingness to bring to the screen a unique moment lived by a generation of teenagers and to evidence the enormous amount of work behind the creation of a music channel broadcasting non-stop music videos and interviews with stars at a time when there was nothing similar on air. Through interviews with stars of that era and the creative minds behind the MTV project, they expose the initial difficulties and conflicts that they met. The revolution that MTV started was a forerunner in the way we consume audiovisual material today. Whether or not viewers are in tune with the story, they will undoubtedly feel part of it.
2019: American Film Festival Wroclaw – Best documentary
2019: Tribeca Film Festival
Year: 2019 Runtime: 81 min Country: USA Direction: Tyler Measom, Patrick Waldrop Screenplay: Tyler Measom, Patrick Waldrop Cinematography: Tyler Measom Genre: Documentary Language: VOSC Subtitles: Savinen Contact: Tyler Measom