Play Loud! Productions

Play Loud! Productions is a Berlin-based independent film production company that also operates as a record label and publishing house. It was founded in 1997 in New York City by the filmmakers Dietmar Post and Lucía Palacios, and moved to Berlin's eastern districts in 2002. The company is primarily known for its music documentaries — including Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback, Klangbad: Avant-garde in the Meadows, Donna Summer: Hot Stuff, and Mona Mur in Conversation — and for political documentaries such as Franco's Settlers, German Pop and Circumstance, and Franco on Trial: The Spanish Nuremberg?. It has also produced fiction short films including Bowl of Oatmeal and Cloven Hoofed. In addition to producing its own films, Play Loud! has been involved in the creation of various award-winning documentaries by other directors, among them Wall Street – Ein Film über Geld by Thomas Schadt, The Nomi Song by Andrew Horn, Das Netz by Lutz Dammbeck, Walker Evans by Reiner Holzemer, and La Espalda del Mundo by Javier Corcuera. Since 2006 the company has also functioned as a DVD and record label, allowing Post and Palacios to release their own films and music on their own imprint. In 2008 the filmmakers began a large archive project, the "play loud! (live) music series", built on three precepts: Alan Lomax's work as an archivist and chronicler, John Peel's BBC radio sessions, and the work of Direct Cinema pioneers such as the Maysles Brothers, Leacock, Wildenhahn, and Pennebaker. Some live performances are filmed with a single camera in one continuous shot without any edits, a style some critics have dubbed "minimalist filmed paintings" or "painted films". Musicians featured in the series include Martin Rev, Lydia Lunch, Philipp Petit, Faust, Locust Fudge, Camera, Dieter Moebius, Michael Rother, Guru Guru, Limpe Fuchs, Burnt Friedman, Jaki Liebezeit, Christy & Emily, Gebrüder Teichmann, FM Einheit, Hans-Joachim Irmler, Damo Suzuki, Ilpo Väisänen, SchneiderTM, and Die Regierung, among many others. The company's films are characterized by multiple perspectives and in-depth conversations or interviews, allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions. Critics have described Post and Palacios as the German counterparts to Direct Cinema directors D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus. Play Loud! Productions has received numerous awards and nominations, most notably the Adolf Grimme Prize in 2008 for Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback, and a Grimme Prize nomination in 2016 for German Pop and Circumstance. The company continues to operate its own archive and online store, releasing physical DVDs, vinyl, CDs, books, and digital streaming and downloads.

Play Loud! Productions was founded in 1997 in New York City by the filmmakers Dietmar Post and Lucía Palacios. In its early years the company participated in the creation of various award-winning documentaries, including Wall Street – Ein Film über Geld by Thomas Schadt, The Nomi Song by Andrew Horn, Das Netz by Lutz Dammbeck, Walker Evans by Reiner Holzemer, and La Espalda del Mundo by Javier Corcuera. Alongside advertising, short films, EPKs, and videos, Play Loud! increasingly produced its own short and documentary films. In 2002 the company relocated to the eastern part of Berlin. Since 2006 it has also operated as a DVD and record label, enabling Post and Palacios to release their own films and music on their own imprint. In 2006 their film German Pop and Circumstance was nominated for the Adolf Grimme Prize, and in 2008 they won the same prize for Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback. Critics have described Post and Palacios as the German counterparts to Direct Cinema directors D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus. In 2008 the filmmakers began a large archive project, the "play loud! (live) music series", based on three precepts: Alan Lomax's work as an archivist and chronicler, John Peel's BBC radio sessions, and the work of Direct Cinema pioneers such as the Maysles Brothers, Leacock, Wildenhahn, and Pennebaker. The series captures live performances, some filmed with only one camera in one continuous shot and without any edits, a style some critics have dubbed "minimalist filmed paintings" or "painted films". Musicians who appear in the series include Martin Rev, Lydia Lunch, Philipp Petit, Faust, Locust Fudge, Camera, Dieter Moebius, Michael Rother, Guru Guru, Limpe Fuchs, Burnt Friedman, Jaki Liebezeit, Christy & Emily, Gebrüder Teichmann, FM Einheit, Hans-Joachim Irmler, Damo Suzuki, Ilpo Väisänen, SchneiderTM, and Die Regierung, among many others. The company's filmography includes Bowl of Oatmeal (1996), Cloven Hoofed (1998), Reverend Billy & The Church of Stop Shopping (2002), Turtle Monkey (2002), The Nomi Song (2004, line production), Monks – The Transatlantic Feedback (2006), Klangbad: Avant-garde in the Meadows (2009), Faust: Live at Klangbad Festival (2010), Donna Summer: Hot Stuff (2013), Franco's Settlers (2013), German Pop and Circumstance (2015), and Franco on Trial: The Spanish Nuremberg? (2018). The label's discography includes releases by The Monks, Floating di Morel, Doc Schoko, Guru Guru, Limpe Fuchs, Die Regierung, The Vulgar Boatmen, Familie Hesselbach, and Mona Mur. Play Loud! Productions has received numerous awards and nominations, including the 2008 Adolf Grimme Prize for Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback and a 2016 Grimme Prize nomination for German Pop and Circumstance. The company continues to operate from Berlin, maintaining an online archive and store for its physical and digital releases.

• 2016

  German Pop and Circumstance nominated for the Adolf Grimme Prize.

• 2008

  Wins the Adolf Grimme Prize for Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback; starts the play loud! (live) music series archive project.

• 2006

  Begins operating as a DVD and record label; German Pop and Circumstance nominated for the Adolf Grimme Prize.

• 2002

  Company moves to the eastern part of Berlin.

• 1997

  Founded in New York City by Dietmar Post and Lucía Palacios.

Independent, artist-driven film production and record label known for music and political documentaries with a Direct Cinema aesthetic.

• 1996

  Bowl of Oatmeal

• 1998

  Cloven Hoofed

• 2002

  Reverend Billy & The Church of Stop Shopping

• 2002

  Turtle Monkey

• 2004

  The Nomi Song

• 2006

  Monks – The Transatlantic Feedback

• 2009

  Klangbad: Avant-garde in the Meadows

• 2010

  Faust: Live at Klangbad Festival

• 2013

  Donna Summer: Hot Stuff

• 2013

  Franco's Settlers (Los Colonos del Caudillo)

• 2015

  German Pop and Circumstance (Deutsche Pop Zustände)

• 2018

  Franco on Trial: The Spanish Nuremberg?

• 2001

  The Monks – ...let's start a beat!

• 2009

  Floating di Morel – Said My Say

• 2009

  Doc Schoko – schlecht dran, gut drauf

• 2014

  Guru Guru – Hinten

• 2016

  Guru Guru – UFO

• 2016

  Limpe Fuchs – Gestrüpp

• 2017

  Die Regierung – So Drauf

• 2018

  The Vulgar Boatmen – You and Your Sister

• 2020

  Familie Hesselbach – Familie Hesselbach

• 2021

  Mona Mur – Mona Mur

1. 1play loud! productions - production of film, video and musicplayloud.org
2. 2About us - play loud! archive & storeplayloud.org
3. 3Play Loud! Productions - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Play Loud! Productions - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org