Detroit Legendary Music Producer/DJ Carl Craig Feature Doc Desire: The Carl Craig Story Set for World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival
Carl Craig, the pioneering Detroit techno producer and DJ, will be the focus of the new documentary feature Desire: The Carl Craig Story, directed by Jean-Cosme Delaloye (Harley). The film has been selected for the Tribeca Film Festival’s Spotlight+ section, set to run from June 5-16, 2024.
The documentary offers an intimate look at Craig’s journey from his middle-class roots in Detroit to his rise as a global icon in electronic music. It explores his genre-defying career, marked by innovative techno that bridges diverse musical influences. Desire: The Carl Craig Story captures Craig’s impact on both the dance music scene and the broader artistic world, including his collaborations with jazz and classical musicians and his recent visual arts projects.
The world premiere of Desire: The Carl Craig Story will take place on June 12, 2024, at 8 pm at The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios. Tribeca will also host a press and industry screening on June 13, with additional public screenings scheduled for June 13 and 15.
As Craig, a key figure in the second generation of Detroit techno artists, navigates the challenges threatening his ability to perform, the documentary celebrates his resilience and the profound influence of his music.
Photo Credit: Gabriel Bonnefoy
The film features artists including Gilles Peterson, Roni Size, Laurent Garnier, DJ Minx, Kenny Larkin, Moritz von Oswald and James Lavelle, who worked with Craig and played a major role in bringing techno and electronic music to the masses over the years.
“Desire” is produced by Dan Wechsler for Switzerland’s Bord Cadre Films and Andreas Roald on behalf of the U.K.’s Sovereign Films. The companies previously collaborated on “Triangle of Sadness.” The film is supported by the Federal Office of Culture (Switzerland) and the regional film fund Cinéforom (Geneva).
More on Carl Craig
Carl Craig is a multi-disciplined visionary whose eclectic tastes and influences all converge into his “main discipline,” Carl Craig. The Detroit pioneer’s lifelong pursuit of independence and self-gratification is the catalyst behind three decades of innovation and achievement within the realm of electronic music.
As the mastermind behind Planet E Communications, Carl conceived and nurtured a platform that preserves his independence while also providing a liberating space for a range of international artists over the last 30 years. Carl’s open-minded approach has led to the release of records that traverse hip-hop, jazz, funk, and more esoteric electronic compositions, purposely avoiding commercial-sounding music.
As a producer and performer, Carl’s history is well documented. Under a variety of aliases—69, Paperclip People, C2, and many more—he has produced six LPs, the most recent being Versus, with his back catalog including credits on over 600 remixes for a diverse cross-section of electronic music artists from Depeche Mode and Tori Amos to his friends Kenny Larkin and Kevin Saunderson, plus many many more. In 2008, Carl’s tireless remix work was recognized at the Grammys, where he was nominated for his rework of Junior Boys “Like A Child.”
His contribution to global electronic music culture has been vast. Despite widespread critical acclaim and success, he continues to inject his innovative energy into everything he does, establishing a legacy that will stand long after the wheels of his car finally fall off…
