In the encroaching era of internet-dominated content, it’s possible to become slightly despondent about the future of professional quality filmed journalism and documentaries. When traditional television channels have disappeared, will the so-called “new media” have the money and necessary skills to produce material of the same quality as the old-guard, or do we face an inevitable descent into amateurish the standards of most YouTube videos?
All of which is a roundabout way of getting to the point that Pitchfork just released an awesome new documentary about one of my favourite bands, Belle and Sebastian, focusing on their origins and their seminal album If You’re Feeling Sinister. It’s fascinating and absolutely lovely, featuring interviews with all the main players, telling the story of how Stuart Murdoch’s years in isolation, suffering from ME, led to the genesis of Belle and Sebastian and their first two albums. If the future of music documentaries looks like this, then it’s definitely a less scary place.
You can watch it on YouTube here, or embedded below.
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