Documentary
United States of America
Desolation Center is a documentary film that explores the underground music and performance art scene in Southern California during the 1980s. It focuses on a series of guerrilla punk and industrial desert happenings that were organized by a visionary event planner, Stuart Swezey. In these events, young artists gathered in the harsh deserts surrounding Los Angeles to express themselves through music, performance, and visual art.
The film features interviews with many of the key figures from this scene, including members of seminal bands like Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Redd Kross, Einstürzende Neubauten, and Swans. It also features rare performance footage of these bands and others, as well as footage of the performances and installations created by the Survival Research Laboratories, Savage Republic, and other experimental artists.
The events organized by Swezey were notable not only for their creativity and energy, but also for their influence on the festival culture that would emerge in the years to come. Burning Man, Lollapalooza, and Coachella are just a few of the festivals that owe a debt to the experimental spirit of these early desert happenings.
Desolation Center is a fascinating exploration of a little-known chapter in American music and art history, and a testament to the power of creativity and community in the face of isolation and adversity.
