Sonic Youth, Nirvana and Beastie Boys: the forgotten film that tells the story of Nineties alternative rock

A journey into the heart of the alternative scene of the Nineties, through concerts, encounters and backstage moments. "The Best Summer", the documentary directed by Tamra Davis, brings to light home movie footage shot by the director while accompanying her then-husband Mike D of Beastie Boys on tour in Australia. Passing in front of her camera are Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Bikini Kill, Pavement and other key figures from a season in which alternative rock found itself grappling with ever-widening popularity.

The footage, recently rediscovered and originally shot just for fun, captures the atmosphere of that traveling community, caught between performances and backstage pranks. In his review for Mojo, Keith Cameron describes it as an affectionate, bittersweet portrait of a one-off moment in time.
Guiding some of the encounters is Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, turned for the occasion into an interviewer of her touring companions. At the 1995 Summersault Festival in Melbourne, the singer complains: "Non ci sono ragazzi carini in tour". Davis suggests Pavement, but Hanna seems less than convinced: "Non saprei… sono dei fighetti!".

Amid conversations with Kim Gordon and confessions from Dave Grohl, who admits "Odio dover parlare al pubblico", the camera also captures an encounter destined to leave its mark: the one between Hanna and Adam Horovitz of Beastie Boys, her future husband. A romance that takes shape in front of the lens, adding a personal dimension to the story of that summer.
"The Best Summer" is set to screen at London's Doc 'N Roll Festival between October and November.

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