Pavements
The cult California band Pavement has iconic 90s albums, a museum, devoted fans, and a reunion tour – and now a film that stylishly scrambles it all somewhere between documentary and fiction.
A key figure in American subculture, alternative rock band Pavement made their comeback in 2022. Director Alex Ross Perry was brought in to document the world tour. Soon, the comeback grew into a larger creative endeavour, spawning a film project, a Pavement museum, and even a stage musical. The film attracted major talent, including Joe Keery (Stranger Things) and Jason Schwartzman, known for his roles in Wes Anderson’s films.
The documentary follows the making of all these projects while also revisiting the band’s history. New footage is presented alongside archival video, sparking fresh insights and interpretations. But what’s real, and what’s staged? Keery’s fantastical, spiraling performance seems to parody the recent trend of music biopics. Meanwhile, the musical and museum exhibition find their own devoted audiences, revealing unexpectedly moving angles to the band’s story of setbacks and resilience.
Alex Ross Perry previously visited the Love & Anarchy Festival in 2015, when Yle Teema’s announcer Lauri Itäkannas described his style as “urban relationship portraits lightened by academically dry but sharply observational humor.” Pavements continues in the same vein — a funny yet perceptive pseudo-documentary about the music business, fame, and the joy of making and experiencing art.
Alina Tolvanen
Trailer
