One of the great things about the Noise Pop festival is the myriad of bands it hosts in San Francisco for live performances. In addition to the concerts, the festival also hosts art shows and a music film festival. One of the most anticipated films of the festival was Margarita Jimeno’s Gogol Bordello Non-Stop. The sold out showing at the Artists’ Television Access on Friday, February 27th was well received.
The documentary follows Gogol Bordello from the band’s inception in 2001 through 2006. It focuses on who the band is, who the individual members are, and how they became Gogol Bordello. It delves into what the band stands for and represents.
The beginning club performances show Eugene Hutz as less of a lead singer and more a leader of a musical party. He easily pulls more people into his wild festivities. He draws more musicians, more dancers, and more fans. The community that Hutz created, much like the band, is equal parts international and free spirited punk. Early on, Hutz establishes a motto for the band: “Drink Locally, Fuck Globally.”
With home videos and stories by the members of the band, the documentary shows how Hutz became a refugee of Ukraine and assembled a band with members of varying backgrounds and nationalities. With members from Russia, Israel, and the United States, the band indubitably and adequately represents the gypsy sound of wandering folk musicians.
Both the film and the band thrive on the energy of Hutz. His exuberance and vivacity gets naturally convey to his fellow musicians and concertgoers. This electric élan mixed with their DIY attitude and philosophies of individualistic freedom make Gogol Bordello more true to the original aesthetic of punk than nearly any other current band.
The documentary blends live footage and current interviews with home videos and archival footage from the band’s earliest days and Hutz’s life before coming to America. The movie is at its best when it captures a unique moment, storytelling, or characterization. With the members of this band, those moments are frequent in the documentary.
At the end of the movie, Eugene Hutz discusses the commercialization of popular bands. This band feels they have already “made it.” They have attained more success than they ever imagined and cannot or will not change what they do.
Watch the Gogol Bordello Non-Stop trailer:
Gogol Bordello Non-Stop at myspace
Guespa Films' website
Hoptza Films' website
Gogol Bordello's official website
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