Will debut at the L.A. Film Festival on Thursday, June 15th, 5:30 PM
WHAT WE STARTED aims to establish itself as the defining film of the electronic music genre. Through an artfully crafted narrative and stunning visual techniques, the film delves into the highly popular world of electronic dance music, providing backdoor access to a widely misunderstood, self- driven and well-insulated industry on its way to global domination.
Presently, the genre is booming at a pinnacle higher than ever before; however, most do not realize that electronic dance music began as an underground movement that originated in America. The film sets out to illuminate this rich history: from its underground inception in the late 1980s inAmerica to the musicians and fans of this genre that relentlessly fought for their rights around the world, both in the dance club and on the streets, to find a safe space to express themselves, to the development of this modern, mainstream revolution that has taken the world by storm.
Specifically, and with unprecedented access, the film follows industry pioneers, like Carl Cox, who are juxtaposed by the journey of a young, superstar of today, Martin Garrix. These dichotomous journeys of past and present are carefully interwoven to illuminate all viewpoints and highlight the momentous and groundbreaking time that electronic dance music is experiencing presently, while also leaving open the question of what will happen next for this incredible genre of music.
The film is directed by Bert Marcus, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bert Marcus Productions LLC (“BMP”). BMP has been financing and producing transformative documentary feature films that have reimagined the demographic, pace, quality and content of the genre. BMP also has multiple films in the pipeline including a genre-defining social media documentary that is the first of its kind and a documentary about the Apollo Theater. The Apollo Theater film is directed by Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams and produced by Academy Award nominated Lee Daniels (Empire, The Butler). BMP’s mission is to craft distinct, vibrant and thought-provoking films that deliver socially impactful stories through an entertaining lens with the highest quality filmmaking techniques and A – list talent (other past cast members include: Mark Wahlberg, Ron Howa rd, Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Usher, Ed Sheeran, Susan Sarandon, Matt Damon and many more). www.bertmarcus.com
