A film by Olivier Joliat & Matthias Willi

I knew Manuel Gagneux from the «Off-Bar» in Basel and having heard him playing as Birdmask I was aware that he is an extremely talented solo musician. But I didn’t know anything about his new project Zeal & Ardor until Manuel’s best friend posted an article from the «Rolling Stone» on Facebook in the summer of 2016. The renowned music magazine called Z&A’s debut «the most interesting metal album of the year». Quickly, other U.S. papers followed, and stars like Slash wrote enthusiastic posts. I was amazed: News got around faster on the World Wide Web than in the local scene network, creating a virtual hype and lifting a young artist overnight into the spotlight of the international music business. Until then Manuel had mostly lived in the publicity-shy and anti-capitalist environment of the subversive «Off-Bar» and had never had a label nor a manager.

I wanted to interview Manuel about his transformation for a press article. But unexpectedly he referred me to a manager, David Burger whom I also knew well (Basel is small). Nevertheless, David refused to let me talk to Manuel: There were too many requests from the press, from labels and festivals. And everything was so new and still in limbo, that they didn’t want to say anything wrong now. But what David told me off the record matured into a film idea.

Matthias Willi and I had already worked together on internationally acclaimed book projects about music and people, the last one about the punk scene in Indonesia. And both of us had just recently had the first experiences with working with video. Now a unique story was developing on our doorstep. We couldn’t tell yet what exactly was going to happen but we could feel the potential. That was enough to get us going. There are enough music documentaries made retrospectively. We didn’t want to miss the momentum of: «Something is happening right now».

Fortunately, David and Manuel knew us well enough to trust us – perhaps precisely because we had no clear concept. In a way we were in the same position as the musicians themselves: pretty inexperienced and getting ready for the big stages of the world. And because we were a team of two, there was just enough room for us in the tour bus.

In the beginning, we were mainly interested in the phenomenon of the «rock star»: Is it still possible to build a long career in these times of the fast-moving Internet or do you disappear again with the next wave of hype?

I experienced myself what it’s like to be hyped in the music business. In 2007, the Swiss band Navel was hailed as «the new Nirvana» after releasing their first single. So the young trio was sent on tour to further fire up the media and the fans. Soon the drummer left. I was on friendly terms with the band and spontaneously jumped in. After just one rehearsal I played my first Navel concert and only a day later I found myself in a TV show. We made another single, toured Europe and played the most important newcomer festivals. The career wasn’t quite as steep as Zeal & Ardor’s – but pretty awesome. But more and more I started to ask myself: Should I really continue to conquer the worldwith the «young savages» or should I be loyal to my old band, The Lombego Surfers? I had to make a decision – and I’m still playing with the Lombegos, mostly in small clubs.

The decisions Manuel had to make are of a far more significant dimension. The longer we followed him through Europe and the USA, the more our focus changed. Tour life offered no dangers for Manuel and his band. Everyone is too smart and firmly rooted in life for the usual pitfalls like drugs or ego excesses, and Manuel is not pushed by money-hungry executives of a major label, but supported by young managers from Basel who are themselves getting a first taste of international big business.

Thus, his story is nothing like the classic drama of countless music documentaries, where a fairy-tale-like rise turns into a nightmare full of crashes and scandals. Instead, it was a positive success story: Finally a musician who uses his talents and his luck to move people all over the world with his music and to build a nice life for himself and his band. Or so it seemed. But then all of a sudden Manuel wants to end it all.

The hype around his person just got too intense and frightening. The fans didn’t just pay homage to a poster boy, they started to worship him like a leader. Manuel’s stage presence with the angry look in his eyes indeed suggests a strong personality who could become a leader – but this only partly corresponds with his real character. Manuel was full of doubts and went into some sort of identity crisis. This turning point was important for us. Finally our film had a story that had the potential to carry a full-length documentary.

Around the same time we found a producer who was the ideal collaborator for this project. With his DIY background, Frank Matter understood our enthusiasm-driven, spontaneous approach well. And with his experience as a filmmaker, Frank also had the necessary know-how to help us complete our first film – from structuring the fundraising process to solving dramaturgical issues: with Frank, the project began to take shape.

But as soon as the film project had really taken off, it threatened to end abruptly. A film crew is the devil if you want to disappear into anonymity like Manuel did. It took all the trust that had been built up to convince him to let us continue working. This process led to a deeper mutual understanding of what we were doing and why. Thanks to the confrontation, our working relationship changed from being a close career companion to a critical observer.

When editor Christian Büttiker joined the team, we were very grateful for his fresh perspective and his patient disposition. Christian provided guidance when we were lost in five years of material … Especially when it came to combining the music with the pictures, Christian had to set the tone. Because quite honestly: As soon as I hear Zeal & Ardor play, I’m simply a fan. As Manuel did, Matthias and I needed the full support of comrades-in-arms like Frank and Christian to turn our «learning by doing» film project into «Play with the Devil».

In the fall of 2016, I received a call from David Burger, a band manager from Basel, for whom I regularly photographed musicians. He told me enthusiastically about a new artist he had just signed: Manuel Gagneux.

Manuel’s project Zeal & Ardor didn’t even exist as a band yet, but he was already celebrated by the American magazine «Rolling Stone» as one of the most important newcomers. Exciting, a story like out of a fairy tale. I became curious, accepted the job to shoot stills of Manuel and thus got to know him.

At that time I had been working as a photographer for well over 10 years, mostly in portrait and documentary photography, often with musicians. Parallel to this, my interest in moving images had steadily grown – because certain stories can only be told very poorly with still images.

Olivier Joliat and me have been friends for a long time, and we had done various documentary book projects together, mostly about music and musicians. The best known is certainly «The Moment after the Show», for which we portrayed rock stars in the moment when they came from the stage after a concert.

When we told each other about Manuel’s sensational story, it quickly became clear that we wanted to follow this story with a camera. We simply had to, when such a fairy tale takes place right on our doorstep!

We had to get ready quickly if we didn’t want to miss anything. We were pretty inexperienced as filmmakers and had to jumped in at the deep end, but we were happy to accept the challenge, using minimal film equipment, which fitted even into the smallest tour bus. Working with a minimal team and minimal equipment allowed us to get very close to the protagonists which might have been difficult with a larger team.

Weeks later Zeal & Ardor went on their first European tour and many trips and conversations with Manuel and the band followed. On the one hand we became almost part of the band, on the other hand we wanted to keep a healthy distance to our protagonists. The shooting conditions were often very difficult: We had to work late at night, in the smallest of spaces and with little light. It was also a challenge to deal with a protagonist who was himself in search of something.

Yet it wasn’t only Manu’s «coming of age» story, but in a way also ours: How we matured as filmmakers during the long production period.

Fortunately, after more than two years, with the soap factory and Frank Matter we finally found a professional partner for our project. Also thanks to his support and to our editor Christian Büttiker the story took shape and the project now finds its conclusion after more than six years.

«One of the most expected Swiss films 2023.»
outnow.ch

«A head-banging, thought-provoking documentary that spotlights this unique band and their dynamic, complex leader.»
Karen McMullen, Senior Programmer DOC NYC

«An impressive journey of a restless mind captured by the man with the unerring eye (Willi) and the man with the infallible sense of rhythm (Joliat).»
Philippe Amrein, Loop Musikzeitung

«Surprisingly honest (…) extremely exciting, also for non-metal fans.»
Luca Bruno, Sounds!, SRF 3

«A film that gives you goosebumps.»
Hanna Girard, SRF Regionaljournal Basel/Baselland

«Olivier Joliat and Matthias Willi accompany Manuel Gagneux and his band Zeal & Ardor on their journey in the sensitive documentary PLAY WITH THE DEVIL – and also show the musician’s inner struggles (…) A documentary worth seeing that should appeal not only to metal fans.»
Anais Sommer, Berner Kulturagenda

«A film about sudden success, a person of color in the metal scene, the music business and Satanism as an alternative to Christianity. Surprising, primal, funny and thought-provoking all at the same time.»
Morgane Remter, Programmer DOK.fest Munich

«For about twelve weeks over the course of five years, Joliat and Willi accompany the music phenomenon, capturing quiet and loud moments on and off stage and bringing the audience closer to Zeal & Ardor in an authentic way. Rock’n’roll is more a back-breaking job than glamor, which becomes clear time and again.»
Alan Heckel, ProgrammZeitung

«PLAY WITH THE DEVIL shows an extremely authentic portrayal of the band and its members. The camera is always with them, whether on tour or during intimate moments of band life.»
Yannick Bracher, outnow.ch

«The combination of roots and metal not only unites the seemingly incompatible, but also harbors a great deal of potential: for an alternative historiography, political explosive force, personality cult and incomprehension. PLAY WITH THE DEVIL plays with the difficulty of this endeavor and at the same time traces the development and creative work of the musician in all its contradictions. (…) An exciting mix between silence and noise, music and stillness, crowds and lonliness resonates throughout the film.»
Maria Engler, cineman.ch

«Manuel Gagneux enthuses audiences worldwide with his gospel metal. «Play with the Devil» shows the beginnings of the charismatic multi-talent and accomplishes something few music films do.»
Nick Joyce, Tages-Anzeiger

«The film stays very close to the action – be it in the tour bus, in the rehearsal cellar, in the cramped backstage area or on many stages in front of an enthusiastic audience. And the camera is also close when Gagneux becomes unsure after two albums whether he wants to continue with the Zeal & Ardor project. (…) the friendly relationship with the protagonist and the close proximity to the events is (…) the charm of this cinematic game with the devil.»
sda

«The story of Zeal & Ardor has been told many times, but «Play with the Devil» brings out an interesting tension in the relationship between artist and political reality. Gagneux appears as a musical anarchist and loner with a relentless love of mischief; nothing should be sacred in art, he says at one point. That’s the big twist of Zeal & Ardor: that their eclecticism is more blasphemous than tons of orthodox black metal.»
David Hunziker, WOZ

Zeal & Ardor Official Website: zealandardor.com
Zeal & Ardor on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeal_%26_Ardor
Black Metal on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_metal

SCREENING AT FILMKLANG FESTIVAL IN GERMANY

In February «Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» will be presented at the Filmklang Festival in Göppingen:

Friday, 02-02-2024, 5.00pm, Staufen Kino, Göppingen, Germany

Tickets available here.

 

SPECIAL SCREENINGS (CH)

In December «Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» will be shown on the big screen at following Swiss venues:
12-11-23, 8.00pm, Chrämerhuus, Langenthal (BE)
12-20-23, 7.00pm, Coalmine, Winterthur (ZH)

 

FINNISH PREMIERE

«Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» will have its Finnish Premiere at the Rokumentti Rock Film Festival:

Saturday, 11-18-2023, 8.35pm, Tapio 4, Joensuu

Tickets available here.

 

FURTHER SCREENING AT US FILM FESTIVAL

The 24th Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival will present «Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» as Midwest Premiere:

Sunday, 11-12-2023, 6.00pm, Bryant Lake Bowl, Minneapolis

Tickets available here.

 

US PREMIERE IN NEW YORK

«Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» will have its North American Premiere at the 14th DOC NYC, Americas largest documentary film festival:

Friday, 11-10-2023, 8.30pm, Village East by Angelica, New York City

Wednesday, 11-15-2023, 6.45pm, Village East by Angelica, New York City

Tickets via the festival’s web page.

 

FRENCH PREMIERE

The renowed Music Documentary Film Festival Musical Ecran presents «Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» as French Premiere:

Wednesday, 11-15-2023, 6.00pm, Théâtre Molière, Bordeaux

Tickets available here.

 

UK PREMIERE

«Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» will have its UK Premiere at the 10th Doc’n’Roll Film Festival:

Friday, 11-3-2023, 8.30pm, Chapter Cinema, Cardiff
Sunday, 11-5-2023, 6.30pm, Hackney Picturehouse, London (Q&A in collaboration with Decolonise Fest)

Tickets via the festival’s web page.

 

FILMFEST OSNABRÜCK, GERMANY

The 38th Filmfest Osnabrück, Festival of Independent Films, presents «Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» in their „Laut“ category:

Saturday, 10-14-2023, 10.15pm, Filmtheater Hasetor, Osnabrück

 

IN COMPETITION

«Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» is running in competition for Best Documentary Film at the Filmtage Oberschwaben in Germany. Director Olivier Joliat will be present for Q&As following both screenings:

Friday, 10-13-2023, 4.30pm, Kulturzentrum Linse, Weingarten
Friday, 10-13-2023, 9.20pm, Frauentorkino, Ravensburg

 

NETHERLANDS PREMIERE

In September, «Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» will be presented at the Music Film Festival in Tilburg City:

Friday, 09-01-2023, 9.00pm, Filmtheater Cinecitta
followed by a Q&A with Olivier Joliat and Matthias Willi

Further details on the festival’s web page.

 

OUTDOOR THEATER SCREENING

«Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» will be screened at the Stadtkino in Baden, Switzerland:

Sat, 6-24-2023, 9.45pm, Kronengasse (postponed date in case of bad weather: 7-1-23)

 

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

«Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor» has been selected for the DOK.deutsch competition of the 38th DOK.fest Munich. Germany’s largest international documentary film festival presents highlights of current documentary filmmaking. Following the schedule:

Friday, 05-05-2023, 4.00pm, City 3 (international premiere)

Saturday, 05-06-2023, 7.00pm, Rio 2

Wednesday, 05-10-2023, 5.30pm, HFF – Kino 2

Thursday, 05-11-2023, 9.00pm, Neues Rottmann

Further details on the festival’s web page.

Production coordinator

Loredana-Nastassja Fernández

Development producer

Aline Pieth, culturelles GmbH

Production assistant Recycled Tv

Kim Odermatt

Commissioning editors SRF

Urs Augstburger, Markus Wicker, Barbara Seiler


Sound design & mix

Peter von Siebenthal, Kathleen Moser, Anna Bühlmann,

Projektstudio GmbH

Color grading

Peter Guyer

Video post-production

doc&post

Additional camera

Chrigu Blum, Christian Taro, Mike DeMellia, Manuel Bürkli, Zeal & Ardor

Assistant editors

Carmen Walker, Marlen Schmid

Titles design

Heinz Reber «H1», Büro Destruct

Art work & graphic design

Noé Herrmann

Website

bytes & bones, Klaus Affolter

Translations & subtitles

Apostroph Group on behalf of Swiss TXT AG

Research social media

T-Nice

Project accountant

Kraft-Buchhaltungen, Christine Pasquier

Original music

Written and performed by Zeal & Ardor and Manuel Gagneux, published by Bosworth Music GmbH & licensed by MVKA Limited, courtesy of Bosworth Music & MVKA

Trailer

Jan Mühlethaler, roja-films

Fachausschuss Film und Medienkunst BS/BL
Berner Filmförderung
Ernst Göhner Stiftung
Kulturfonds SUISSIMAGE
Migros-Kulturprozent
L’Unique Foundation | Rock’n’Roll with a Cause! (lunique-foundation.org)
Burgergemeinde Bern
Musikbüro Basel
BLKB Stiftung für Bildung und Kultur
Scheidegger-Thommen Stiftung

 

Our families

Sharon Harris, Jason Rosen, Juan Michael Porter, Mélissa Cleal, Jukka Altermatt, Chrigu Blum, Christian Frick, Larry Pfister, Christoph Noth, Suzy Cole, Kim Kelly, Frank Godla, Der Dunkle Parabelritter, Gordon Bell, Lucy Koechlin, Tino Bruni, Martin Stohler, Fabienne Haase, Matthias Affolter, Gregor Brändli, Janiv Oron, Silas Gotsch, Gravpel, Luca Piazzalonga, Petrit Deliu, J.J. Löw, Samuel Morris, Fabio Tozzo, Nicolas Büttiker, Cécile Meyer, Tania Stöcklin, Simon Baumann, Nicolas Laube

&

all the fans we interviewed & all venues & festivals who let us in

A special shout out to:

Off Bar (Basel), Sommercasino (Basel), The Red Lion (New York City), Summer Breeze (Dinkelsbühl) & to Walter Hoeijmakers & Roadburn Festival (Tilburg)

Films

2023 PLAY WITH THE DEVIL by Olivier Joliat and Matthias Willi
2023 RUÄCH by Andreas Müller, Simon Guy Fässler and Marcel Bächtiger (with 8horses)
2021 PARALLEL LIVES by Frank Matter (with Recycled Tv)
2021 ANN’S PUB by Thabea Furrer
2020 ARADA by Jonas Schaffter
2020 WHO’S AFRAID OF ALICE MILLER? by Daniel Howald (prod. for SwissDok)
2019 I’LL BE YOUR MIRROR by Johanna Faust
2017 CIAO BABYLON by Kurt Reinhard and Christoph Schreiber
2017 AMALIA E GIANCARLO by Kurt Reinhard and Christoph Schreiber
2015 THOMAS HIRSCHHORN – GRAMSCI MONUMENT by Angelo Lüdin
2015 LA BUENA VIDA by Jens Schanze (with Mascha Film)
2015 GROZNY BLUES by Nicola Bellucci
2013 VON HEUTE AUF MORGEN by Frank Matter
2010 NEL GIARDINO DEI SUONI by Nicola Bellucci
2004 THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY by Frank Matter and Robert Margolis
1999 THE BEAUTY OF MY ISLAND by Frank Matter
1996 MOROCCO by Frank Matter
1993 HANNELORE by Frank Matter and Michael Luisier

In production

LIFE IS EVERYTHING by Beatrice Minger and Christoph Schaub (with Das Kollektiv)
SEGNALI DI VITA by Leandro Picarella (with Qoomoon)
LOVE STORIES by Nicola Bellucci
BECOMING VULNERABLE by Gregor Brändli and Deneth Piumakshi Wedaarachchige

In development

HOTPOT (various authors)
REISE ANS ENDE DER NACHT by Frank Matter

www.soapfactory.ch
film(a)soapfactory.ch

Productions (selection)

2023 PLAY WITH THE DEVIL by Olivier Joliat and Matthias Willi
2022 HALTLOS by Peter Guyer and Jürg Halter
2021 PARALLEL LIVES by Frank Matter (co-produced with soap factory GmbH)
2020 CONTRADICT by Peter Guyer and Thomas Burkhalter
2018 JANET HAUFLER by Manuela Trapp
2018 A LONG WAY HOME by Luc Schaedler (co-produced with go between films)
2017 FELL IN LOVE WITH A GIRL by Kaleo LaBelle (co-produced with LaBelle Films)
2016 MELODY OF NOISE by Gitta Gsell (co-produced with Mirapix)
2016 ZEN FOR NOTHING by Werner Penzel (co-produced with Werner Penzel)
2016 DEM HIMMEL ZU NAH by Annina Furrer
2015 CONFUSION by Laurent Nègre (co-produced with Bord cadre films)
2014 LIFE IN PROGRESS by Irene Loebell
2013 ADIOS by Madeleine Corbat
2012 IM SCHNITT by Konstantin Gutscher
2012 BUEBE GÖ Z’TANZ by Steve Walker
2011 HO UND ÜBERALL by Peter Guyer and Balthasar Jucker
2011 ZAFFARAYA 3.0 by Andreas Berger
2009 NACHGIFT by Remo Legnazzi
2009 SOUNDS AND SILENCE by Peter Guyer and Norbert Wiedmer
2001 BIG MAC SMALL WORLD by Peter Guyer
2000 AREAL BLUM by Steff Bossert
1995 SIGNERS KOFFER by Peter Liechti (co-production)

In production

WIR HABEN KEINE ANGST by Dennis Stauffer (Release 2023)
LAS TORERAS by Jackie Brutsche (Release 2023)
UNSER VATER by Miklos Gimes (Release 2023)
IDDU by Miriam Ernst (Release 2023)
NATHALIE by Tamara Milosevic (Release 2024)

In development

MORE HUMAN THAN ROBOTS by Irene Loebell
KIENTAL by Tamara Milosevic
DIE FRAUEN DER HELDEN by Reto Camenisch

www.rectv.ch
info(a)rectv.ch