play loud! productions is a Berlin-based record label, publishing and film production company founded in 1997 in New York by filmmakers Dietmar Post and Lucía Palacios. They are primarily known for their documentaries on music (MONKS, KLANGBAD, DONNA SUMMER, ) and politics (FRANCO´S SETTLERS, GERMAN POP & CIRCUMSTANCE, FRANCO ON TRIAL) in addition to fiction short films (BOWL OF OATMEAL, CLOVEN HOOVED). In 2008, they were the recipients of the most prestigious award in German television, the Grimme Prize, for their documentary MONKS: THE TRANSATLANTIC FEEDBACK. In 2006, their film GERMAN POP & CIRCUMSTANCE was nominated for the same award. Their films convey multiple perspectives on their subjects with in-depth interviews, allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions.
Like many writers, labels and musicians, Post and Palacios release their films on their own film and music label.
In 2008 the filmmakers started working on a large archive project, the PLAY LOUD (LIVE) MUSIC SERIES, which is 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. Filming live shows means not doing things TV-style, but in a very personal, intuitive and adventurous manner – nothing is staged for the shoot. You go along with things as they happen. Some of the live performances are filmed with only one camera in one continuous shot and without any edits. Some critics have dubbed the series “minimalist filmed paintings/painted films”. Musicians who appear in the series include Doc Schoko, Die Regierung, Lydia Lunch, Philipp Petit, Faust, Locust Fudge, Floating di Morel, 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 many more.
In 2018 they published the book FRANCO´S SETTLERS: AN EXAMPLE OF THE MARGINALIZATION OF THE INVESTIGATIVE DOCUMENTARY with which they have opened up a discussion based on the function and significance of the documentary in democratic societies and how neoliberalism has influenced the aesthetic and content of documentary films.
play loud´s film and music releases are distributed by FORCED EXPOSURE (USA), ALIVE! (Germany/Austria/Switzerland), SHELL SHOCK (UK), CLEAR SPOT (The Netherlands), MUNSTER RECORDS (Spain). They can also be found on DISCOGS. The digital distribution is managed by THE ORCHARD INC (Sony Music Ent.) worldwide. Its publishing division is administered by SONGS UNITED PUBLISHING.
Other collaborators are ZDF/3sat, ARTE, SWR, WDR, Phoenix, Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, Hanfgarn&Ufer Filmproduktion, Odyssee Film-Thomas Schadt, Reiner Holzemer Produktion, Absolut Medien, Cine Impuls, Sugar Film Produktion, Peter Stockhaus Filmproduktion, Klangbad, Cameo/CVFilm, Icestorm Entertainment, SPV (Germany) | Canal+, TVE, Elías Querejeta P.C. (Spain) | Grey Advertising Agency, The Jim Henson Company, DOC TV-Robert Duncan, New Video Group, Sundance Channel and Anthology Film Archives (USA), among others.
