Paradiso

A many-voiced declaration of love to the greatest music venue in the Netherlands, and an ode to the magic of pop concerts. Interviews with concertgoers and footage of memorable performances combine in an intuitive collage with commentary and concert excerpts from artists such as Paul Weller, Henry Rollins, Peter te Bos, Martha Wainwright and Daniel Johnston, and bands like Faithless, dEUS and Public Enemy. They talk about what it means for them to play here: over the nervousness beforehand, the fear and euphoria that coalesce the moment they take the stage, and about the contact with the audience that can make or break a show. A process that Tim Knol and his band experience firsthand for the camera, as they prepare for their first performance in the great hall. Filmmaker Jeroen Berkvens already directed the music documentaries A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake and Jimmy Rosenberg: The Father, the Son & the Talent. Though Hugh Cornwell of The Stranglers feels the place has lost its appeal, most have only words of praise, like from Patrick Watson, who calls Paradiso "my favorite club in Europe." (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)