Pulp: a Film about Life, Death & Supermarkets

The phenomenon of the British pop group Pulp can be broken down into its primary ingredients. Florian Habicht (Love Story, New Horizons 2012) shows the band on the eve of their farewell concert in their native Sheffield. The group quietly split up after recording the album We Love Life. This concert performed years later was the long-awaited dot over the i, as well as the basis of the film. Although compliments are not easy to come by in Sheffield, the entire city was waiting for this concert. In the best case, you might here: It's alright. Masses of fans arrive in the city from all over the world to see for the last time, or perhaps the first, Jarvis Cocker thrashing around on stage. The director dedicates as much attention to "ordinary people" as he does to the stars, which is where the film’s subtitle comes from: A Film About Life, Death & Supermarkets. In Sheffield, Pulp is an institution, and everyone knows their lyrics: vendors at the fish market, newsagents, old ladies from the choir, and schoolchildren. Habicht focuses on the feedback loop that exists between the stars and their fans, as well as on the role of music in creating collective dreams.  

Ewa Szabłowska