Play It Loud!

It’s the heyday of New Wave in 1980s Munich and Harry spends it begrudgingly training as a bank clerk. While his day job is less than glamorous, he hopes to find his foothold in the music scene as the manager of his friends’ band, Apollo Schwabing. His chance finally comes when he books Apollo Schwabing in a concert headlined by the legendary electropunk band D.A.F.—only for his hopes to come crashing down when the band fails to confirm at the last minute. Harry will have to take any measures he can to ensure that the show goes on, from selling his beloved record collection, to pilfering guitars, and eventually to committing even riskier crimes… 

An early vehicle for actor Tom Schilling (Fabian: Going to the Dogs, A Coffee in Berlin), Play It Loud! is a gutsy love letter to the kids who formed the vanguard of the punk movement. In the words of D.A.F. on the track “Verschwende deine Jugend” (the film’s German title): “Do what you want while you still can. Waste your youth!” 

Streaming as part of Alle gegen Alles: Punk@50. By 1976, the once underground punk movement had exploded across the world, bringing with it a bold new style, an anti-establishment ethos, and a powerful do-it-yourself means of political and personal expression. Fifty years later, this collection of films celebrates punk rebellion in Germany and its enduring role as an antidote to modern conformity. Watch for free through December 31.

Image © Claussen+Putz Filmproduktion GmbH