What We Started

What We Started is a US documentary film that was premiered on June 15, 2017 at the Los Angeles Film Festival.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} The film is directed by Bert Marcus and Cyrus Saidi and produced by Bert Marcus, Cassandra Hamar, Cyrus Saidi and Bert Marcus Productions.^[6][7][8]

Background

The film chronicles three decades of electronic dance music by focusing on the careers of Carl Cox and Martin Garrix.^[9][10][11] It also included other individuals such as Erick Morillo, Moby, David Guetta, Steve Angello, Afrojack, Tiesto, Usher and Ed Sheeran.^[12][13] The film consists of interviews with artists involved with EDM’s pervasiveness in pop culture.^[14]

The documentary begins with Carl Cox who walked around the empty cavern of Space in Ibiza, the nightclub where he had served as resident DJ since 2001.^[14][15]

Cast

Credits adapted from the documentary's IMDB page; sorted alphabetically.^[16]

• Carl Cox
• Chip Eberhart
• David Guetta
• Ed Sheeran
• Erick Morillo
• Louis Vega
• Martin Garrix
• Paul Oakenfold
• Pete Tong
• Steve Angello
• Tiësto
• Usher Raymond

Reviews

The film has opened to rave reviews, noting that it shines as "the Premier Film on Electronic Music History"^[17] and that it is a "dance music film that gets it right."^[18]. The Nocturnal Times stated that "What We Started is one of the best electronic music documentaries of our time, offering a precisely accurate adaptation of the rapidly growing electronic scene and its worldwide domination," and that the film"gets it all right." ^[19]One reviewer notes that "as one watches WHAT WE STARTED, one of the striking elements which rings forth is the idea of “resiliency,” and that "thanks to detailed research and a self-imposed mantra to remain unbiased in the presentation of the documentary, the filmmakers peel back the glossy layers of bright lights and enthusiastic concerts and delve into the darker aspects of culture that all but wiped out EDM prior to its rebirth and resurgence."^[20] This reviewer also calls the film a "stunner." ^[21]

EDM Tunes stated that "no matter what side of the spectrum you fall on, be you a techno purist or a bass head, What We Started is a film that speaks to all dance music enthusiasts." They also said that "Director Bert Marcus (previous producer of ‘How to Make Money Selling Drugs’ and ‘Teenage Paparazzo’) masterfully tells the story of how the legends of old throwing raves in empty fields and abandoned warehouses inspired the biggest boom in popularity that any musical genre has ever seen."^[22] Dancing Astronaut also stated that the "new documentary film What We Started looks to be our generation’s first veritable attempt at capturing the history of dance music in its entirety. It’s an ambitious undertaking, especially considering the traditional portrayal of dance music in Hollywood, which, more often than not, appears out-of-touch or overtly contrived. Fortunately, What We Started is not one of those films. Where Bert Marcus’s new documentary succeeds is in its ability to present the paralleling narratives of the underground and the mainstream in tandem."^[23]

References

Further reading

• Interview: ‘What We Started’ filmmakers talk world premiere and the evolution of EDM - AXS
• 'What We Started' looks at dance music history and raises questions about a way forward - LA Times