Anton Corbijn
Depeche Mode - Spirits in the Forest

Contrary to what one might imagine from the title of the work, "Depeche Mode: Spirits in the Forest" is not a documentary film about Depeche Mode, or rather, it's a documentary film in which Depeche Mode are present but leave the stage to 6 "special" fans, enjoying the splendid spectacle. "Depeche Mode: Spirits in the Forest" is, first of all, an anthem to the power of Music and its infinite ability to create plots and connections. The film, through the (often touching) stories of the lives of the 6 fans, alternating with bursts of adrenaline from the concert, shows how Music can break down space-time barriers, shows its ability to create and destroy, to provide permanent, flexible, and immaterial support, to recover the unrecoverable. There are no bodily, geographical, political, physical boundaries that hold; Music, sooner or later, reaches its destination. Always. And once it reaches its destination, it overwhelms and communicates with everyone through a language understandable to all. There's no escape. Where there were no connections, these will be created; where there were no emotions, these will be known. The seed from which a forest will grow has been sown.

Music is all this, the essence of our memories, of our lives, often concentrated in 4 minutes. And it is always there, within reach. Simply grand.

The images of the film also remind us of another thing: every time we go to a concert or discuss Music or press a "play" button, we become part of a community, we become interconnected spirits that become part of that otherworldly forest, rich in genres, variety, fruits, possibilities, called Music. All this may seem very rhetorical, and partly it is, but I firmly believe that emphasizing the social function of Music is very important as well as much more impactful than a simple hedonistic logic.
Then, when the documentary film comes to an end and you are left alone with the noise of the projector turning off and the black screen of the cinema hall, a thought comes to mind: the artist, true demiurge, has immense power, equal to that of the Music he generates. If it is true that with great power comes great responsibility, where do the artist's responsibilities start and end? How far can the artist's ability to "shape the masses" go? How far can the artist's ability to shape a human being's life go?

P.S.

The film should be seen regardless, even by those who do not favor Depeche Mode. Those who think it is simply yet another concert film, in my opinion, are greatly mistaken. The film should be seen from a different perspective.