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| Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore and Dave Gahan in “Depeche Mode: Spirits in the Forest in theaters Sunday, November 24. |
“Depeche Mode: Spirits in the Forest,” is not your average everyday concert film, and that’s a wonderful thing. Directed by Anton Corbijn, the beautifully shot documentary celebrates the connecting power of music through told through the eyes of six fans from around the world.
The fans were chosen as part of a contest to tell their stories of how Depeche Mode has affected their lives. The ‘superfans’ travel from Los Angeles, Romania, Colombia, Brazil, France, and Mongolia to attend the final show of the band’s 2017-2018 Global Spirit Tour filmed at Berlin’s Waldbühne (“ForestStage”).
Intercut with the testimonials from the six fans is concert footage featuring some of the bands most popular songs, including “Personal Jesus,” “Precious,” “Enjoy The Silence,” “Never Let Me Down Again,” and “Just Can’t Get Enough.” The setting is beautifully shot, catching the night sounds of more than 40, 000 fans passionately singing, and waving their hands in unison.
The featured are Cristian from Romania, Liz from Los Angeles, Indra from Mongolia, Dicken from Colombia, Daniel from Brazil currently living in Germany, and Carine from France.
Dicken, from Colombia, is a divorced father of two who bonds with his kids who live with their mother in Miami as members of the three-piece Depeche Mode tribute band, DMK.
The music truly spans generations. Dicken’s daughter Milah talks about how “Personal Jesus” is her favorite Depeche Mode song to play. She says the reason the song is her favorite because as a bass player, she takes the lead on the powerful song.
Formed when the kids were younger, Dicken tells them to enjoy the time that they have together in the band because when they are older, they might not want the attention. It turns out her father was right, Milah says.
Liz, a cancer survivor from Los Angeles, talks of how listening to the band’s songs during her chemotherapy treatments helps her heal. Liz has also passed on her love for the band to her sons.
Cristian, a photographer, loved the band’s visual moments from the “Enjoy the Silence video so much, that he set out on a days-long pilgrimage to recreate the image, complete with a king and on a steep mountain on the rough terrains of Romania.
The film is a must-see for music lovers who have had some of the best experiences listening to their favorite band live. Depeche Mode is one of the best live bands ever, so if you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing them live, this film is the next best thing.
“Depeche Mode: The Spirit of the Trees,” played for one night only in theaters across the globe. Due to popular demand, an additional date was added for Sunday, November 24.
Check your local theaters for showtimes and tickets. For more information, visit https://www.spiritsintheforest.com/
Depeche Mode is Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andy Fletcher.
Directed by: Anton Corbijn
84 minutes
