The film will tell the story of Lost Vagueness, Glastonbury’s late-night home of vaudeville that reignited the festival in the mid-90s.
Award-winning filmmaker Sofia Olins has been working on a feature-length music documentary about Glastonbury Festival for 12 years. This is the untold, backstage story of Lost Vagueness, the risqué extravaganza that transformed one of the biggest festivals in the world. She is halfway through a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds needed to complete shooting this year at Shangri-La, and edit the film by end of 2016. Those who pledge will receive exclusive Glastonbury rewards, including the opportunity to star in the film.
“In 2004, I stepped into a world at Glastonbury Festival that, unbeknown to me, would filter through the next 12 years of my life….and counting,” says Olins. “That ‘world’ was a place called Lost Vagueness. For those that either can’t remember or never went, it was an area of the iconic festival that blew apart the bland aesthetic of the waning Britpop and Rave era. It was trashy glamour infused with naked cabaret, set in a decadent casino. And only when you looked down at the mud did you remember that you were in Glastonbury.
“A few weeks later, camera in hand and never having entertained the idea of making a documentary, I started to follow their every venture. As I grew closer to the main characters I realised there seemed to be a bigger story, one that questioned cultural phenomena and closely examined individualism. Not to mention a relationship between the anti-hero central character, a man named Roy Gurvitz, and the legendary Michael Eavis.
“One year became two, then three and four until 2007, when I planned to finish the film, finally, in Glastonbury, where it had all begun. I took a crew of five camera-people, sound and stills for what was to be one of the wettest festivals in history. Weather aside, the entire story imploded as Roy and Michael’s relationship fell apart in a spectacular and public way and suddenly Lost Vagueness at Glastonbury was no more. My film ending was also no more.
“I took a much-needed break and it wasn’t until last year that I decided to rekindle the project after encouragement from my Women in Film and TV mentor. Now there’s a refreshed narrative and some amazing new footage with the Lost Vagueness crew and performers such as Fatboy Slim and Madness. We also have an extraordinarily talented team and the real final, final shoot planned for Glastonbury this year. We are ready to share the tale of how a bunch of troublesome travelers transformed what we now know as one of the world’s greatest festivals.”
Progress on the film can be followed on its official Kickstarter page. Rewards for those who donate include having renowned Chris Tofu DJ at your party, and even an opportunity to be in the film.
Follow Sofia Olins on Twitter @SofiaOlinsFilms.
