THE FILMMAKER – VINCENT MOON

Vincent Moon is an independent filmmaker and sound explorer originally from Paris. Since 2009 he has been travelling the world making ethnographic experimental films, recording traditional and sacred music, religious and shamanic rituals under the label Petites Planètes. His work now explores how we can induce transcendent states using images and sounds, as well as the ritualistic aspects of societies and communities.

Moon rose to prominence in the mid 2000s as the main director of La Blogothèque’s Take Away Shows. The web-based project of recording musicians and bands performing in unexpected locations led to Moon being dubbed ‘the re-inventor of the music video’ by the New York Times. Throughout his career he has been strongly connected to musicians from all backgrounds and walks of life. He has documented everything from stadium rock music to a capella village songs, from experimentations in electron- ics to trance rituals. He makes his work accessible to all on the internet, under a Creative Commons licence.

PRODUCERS – NADINE & TOM MICHELBERGER

Nadine and Tom created the Michelberger Hotel in Berlin 2009. From the beginning, music was woven into the fabric of the hotel. Through the years more and more touring musicians stayed at the hotel and many friendships were formed. There were spontaneous concerts held in the lobby and courtyard and in 2011 they took their first foray into a musical gathering with the Mystery Music Festival.

In 2015 they visited Berlin’s Funkhaus and not long after had the idea to do something there. They brought the core collaborators Vincent Moon, Justin Vernon, Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner, Ryan Olson, Brandon Reid & Andre de Ridder together and from there the first People festival (called Michelberger Music at the time) was born.

Nadine and Tom are independent entrepreneurs and the ethos with which they operate the hotel was present with the festivals – no sponsors, full independence and maximum artistic freedom. Across borders of genres, songs, albums or bands. Creating the time and the space for people to connect and co-create.