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Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf

Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf

Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf

Dir. Oliver Schwehm
88 min

25th Sound Unseen Film Festival

Sunday, November 17 at 12:15pm

ABOUT THE FILM

Steppenwolf is one of the most iconic and enigmatic bands in the history of rock music. On the edge of mainstream and the psychedelic underground, their song “Born to Be Wild” opened the cult movie “Easy Rider” and became an anthem for an entire generation. Steppenwolf’s sound descended upon the 60’s music scene like a dagger in the heart of the summer of love: it is no coincidence that they were the very first band to use “Heavy Metal” in their lyrics.

The origins of Steppenwolf’s hard rock sound are told through the stories of charismatic lead singer John Kay, bass player Nick St. Nicholas, guitar player Michael Monarch, and songwriter Mars Bonfire. Using exclusive, never-before-seen super 8 mm footage, deep-dive archives, and present-day scenes. "Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf" takes us from war-torn Germany to the working-class streets of Toronto, and then to Los Angeles where the band rises and falls from fame.

Featuring Steppenwolf members John Kay, Nick St. Nicholas, Mars Bonfire, Michael Monarch; artists Alice Cooper, Taj Mahal, Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous), Klaus Meine (The Scorpions), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Dale Crover (The Melvins), Bob Ezrin (Producer: Kiss, Pink Floyd, Taylor Swift, amongst others).

PRESENTED BY SOUND UNSEEN

Celebrating 25 years in 2024, Sound Unseen is a cultural organization dedicated to the role of film and music as a conduit of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints. Our mission is to foster a greater appreciation of cinema, to bridge cultures, create and expand community, provide cultural exchange, networking opportunities and educational outreach through regular interaction with great films, filmmakers, musicians and artists. .

Film Details

Program: Sound Unseen Film Festival
Release Year: 2024
Runtime: 88 min
Country/Region: Canada, Germany
Language: English
Print Source: Rezolutiion Pictures
Tags: Documentary, Music

Cast/Crew

Director: Oliver Schwehm

Sponsor for Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf

Showtimes

The Main 3

Sunday, November 17th