Woudstra’s succinct introduction to the coldwave iconoclasts Hanover presents a defence of the European emo/goth scenes and the homing desires into which it taps. There is vital importance to the physical spaces of concert venues and the community that they foster.
The documentary finds its purpose and rhythm when it transitions into a montage of concert footage and clips from interviews with audience members. With the way Woudstra captures the tour, there’s a focus on the following that Maybelline and Iceglass have welcomed with open arms. Through the ways the editing deviates from other concert films, there’s also an emphasis on each venue and how conducive these spaces are to “outsider” solidarity.
Whether you were part of the intense wave of Darkwave fandom that swept Northern England and Germany during the early 2010s or not, Woudstra has an empathetic understanding of how the angsty catharsis of attending a Lebanon Hanover concert has deeper connotations for many young, queer, and non-conformist people across Europe. In its title, A Beautiful Place, the juxtaposition is clear but still effective. With Woudstra’s gentle outlook on the duo’s obsession with the gloomy, she efficiently recontextualises this moodiness as a uniting comfort for eccentrics and misfits. The dreamy romanticisation of the allure of a Lebanon Hanover concert is how Woudstra justifies her cinematic exploration into the band’s history and fandom, and is where any fan of the duo will find the most enjoyment in this simple but compassionate documentary.
During a runtime of just 48 minutes, viewers go through the motions of a traditional talking heads documentary. In the selected segments of interviews with guitarist Larissa Iceglass and vocalist, William Maybelline, Woudstra still keeps to the expected generic and rushed stories about finding music in childhood and vague eureka moments. The cinematography is largely conventiinal, particularly when we focus on Lebanon Hanover’s background in Northern England, where the camera lingers too long on nondescript signifiers of Bristol and Sunderland. The pacing is also unfortunately quite monotonous for a band that has a peculiar rise from obscurity to niche celebrity.
A Beautiful Place premieres during the 12th edition of the Doc’n Roll Festival, which takes place between October 23rd and November 9th, in various London venues.
