Desolation Center

Streaming video - 2020

DESOLATION CENTER is the previously untold story of a series of early 80s guerrilla music and art performance happenings in Southern California that are recognized to have inspired Burning Man, Lollapalooza and Coachella, collective experiences that have become key elements of popular culture in the 21st century. The feature documentary splices interviews and rare performance footage of Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Swans, Redd Kross, Einstürzende Neubauten, Survival Research Laboratories, Savage Republic and more, documenting a time when pushing the boundaries of music, art, and performance felt almost like an unspoken obligation. Directed by Stuart Swezey, the creator and principal organizer of these unique events, DESOLATION CEN...TER demonstrates how the risky, and at times even reckless, actions of a few outsiders can unintentionally lead to seismic cultural shifts. Combining Swezey’s exclusive access to never-before-seen archival video, live audio recordings, and stills woven together with new cinematically shot interviews, verité footage and animated sequences, DESOLATION CENTER captures the spirit of the turbulent times from which these events emerged.

Saved in:
Subjects
Genres
Documentary films
Published
[San Francisco, California, USA] : Passion River Productions 2020.
2021.
Language
English
Other Authors
Stuart Swezey (film director), Blixa Bargeld (actor), Curt Kirkwood, Lee Ronaldo, Mike Watt, Perry Farrell, Thurston Moore
Online Access
A Kanopy streaming video
Cover Image
Item Description
Title from title frames.
Film
In Process Record.
Physical Description
1 online resource (streaming video file) (95 minutes): digital, .flv file, sound
Format
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Access
AVAILABLE FOR USE ONLY BY IOWA CITY AND RESIDENTS OF THE CONTRACTING GOVERNMENTS OF JOHNSON COUNTY, UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, HILLS, AND LONE TREE (IA).