Exploring the delicate line between the genius and vulnerability of Avicii, director Henrik Burman has opened up in regards to the emotional weight of his upcoming documentary, Avicii – I am Tim.
Due out December thirty first on Netflix, the movie is ready to launch in tandem with Avicii – My Final Present, which revisits the evening he graced the stage of Ibiza’s storied Ushuaïa membership for what can be his last efficiency. Lower than two years later, the DJ, whose actual title was Tim Bergling, tragically died by suicide.
Burman says the undertaking started in 2019 as an idea for a TV documentary about Avicii’s last album, Tim. It got here with its personal distinctive set of challenges, like making an attempt to unearth recent footage of the late EDM icon whereas taking up a “big quantity” of analysis.
“Everybody round Tim had gone by means of an especially tough time, and naturally, everybody offers with it in numerous methods—there have been many lengthy conversations. We within the crew have been decided to offer this the time it wanted and transfer ahead slowly and thoroughly,” Burman defined in a Netflix Q&A, which the streaming service shared with EDM.com. “Then there may be at all times the problem of the edit itself. To permit your self to make errors and redo and to hunt the essence of the story in a considerable amount of materials. To search out the best tone. Making the best selections.”
Netflix
The acclaimed Swedish director’s journey into Bergling’s world was pushed by a profound curiosity—not simply in regards to the common enchantment of his music, however in regards to the man behind it. What started as a quest to demystify the seemingly untouchable “Avicii universe” developed into an intimate seek for the human truths that formed his artistry.
Because the threads of Bergling’s life, inventive ambitions and public persona intertwined, the filmmaker discovered each readability and complexity.
“Once I began engaged on the movie, my largest driving power was looking for the alternative—a closeness to Tim as an individual, to seek for one thing I heard in his music and perceive the place it actually got here from. Fairly early on, I felt sparks between who he was as an individual, what he was striving for artistically, and the way he was perceived as an artist. That was the idea for my story… Weaving that narrative together with his life story and on the similar time taking a holistic strategy to his complete profession was an enormous problem however was additionally what consistently drove me ahead.”
A putting heat and humor emerged, notably in Bergling’s early years, surrounded by buddies, household and the untainted pleasure of creation. This steadiness of sunshine and darkness set the tone for a nuanced portrayal, unflinchingly capturing each the struggles and the brilliance that outlined his profession.
“The very first thing I observed after I noticed all of the archive materials was how a lot heat and humor there was in and round Tim together with his crew, family and friends,” Burman recollects. “Specifically, this was a dominant feeling within the early years at the start turned extra sophisticated and large.”
“But additionally in direction of the tip of his life. I simply noticed loads of ardour. It was a aspect I hadn’t seen so clearly earlier than and it turned an excellent basis to face on to set the tone for the work; with out shying away from the tough elements and points in Tim’s life. It was additionally necessary for me to rigorously attempt to painting the complexity that got here to dominate Tim’s life. As a result of despite the fact that it was extraordinarily darkish within the darkest elements, there was additionally loads of gentle.”
Netflix
Burman says he ingested 1000’s of hours of personal archives, recordings, interviews and Avicii’s music to viscerally perceive his plight. The movie options never-before-seen archival footage from each chapter of his journey, together with childhood moments captured on household VHS tapes and candid snapshots from buddies’ telephones. Via these fragments, he hopes “to offer the viewers a larger understanding of who [Bergling] was, each as an individual and an artist.”
He paints an image of a documentary that is each an intimate portrait of Bergling and a mirrored image of one thing common—the gorgeous, messy complexity of life, the place nothing is easy and each story is layered. It invitations followers to look past the icon of Avicii and uncover the tender, human coronary heart beneath the beats.
“A viewer mentioned to me that ‘the movie is so particularly about Tim—however on the similar time is so common.’ And I assumed that was stunning. Life just isn’t easy, there aren’t any straightforward solutions, all the pieces is complicated and multi-layered. That is what I purpose to contribute to Tim’s story. I additionally hope that the devoted followers will acquire a recent perspective on each Tim as an individual and Avicii as an artist. It is a documentary movie that captures a life!”
Watch the official trailer for Avicii – I am Tim beneath.
