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To find our own path, to wonder, to question, to denounce and to take issue by unifying against the oppressor are so many values carried by them "sounds systems": these independent musical collectives who seems to put more and more people in agreement with the musical journey they propose.

Come to discover the origins and the evolution of this culture through those who carries it, to understand its foundations and its relevance in our modern society, and try to answer to an often asked question: Is music really able to change the world ?

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Synopsis :

Since the music exists, it has always amplified the anti-authority movements which try to knock down the established order. Often stemming from popular layers and marginalized by the mass, certain musics as the rock, the punk or the hip-hop knew nevertheless how to find their place in the cultural heritage of the humanity.

Today, another movement that has been born in the underground English of the 70’s starts to be brought out of its niche market, by reaching a renewed and younger audience from every sociocultural levels.

Gathered in (legal) events always more and more frequent, the European sounds systems spread vibrations all over the rib cages of three generations worn-out to the commercial musics, and in demand for change.

In this movie, you will discover diverse personalities and the wealth of a culture not or not often represented in the classic media, despite of a success in constant acceleration for the last fifteen years.

With a growing influx in all European festivals, the movement of sound system culture is exploding, specially among the young generation. Nevertheless, only a public of enthusiasts lingers to relieve information to make this scene live, as it remains mostly underground.

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Intentions :

- To return justice to a culture too often boycotted and caricatured by the cultural industry, by handing over to these artists of the underground roots and dub from uk stepper, up to techno free parties, all united by the love of music, and big systems!

- To discover how this new and particular way of broadcasting music on customized speaker walls spreaded all over Europe, particularly in England and in France, by handing over to three generations of artists with different backgrounds, whom participates actively in this movement nowadays.

- To discover in what terms the use of a sound system is an art and a way of life for the artists, and how the music Roots and\or Dub broadcasted this way reaches us in the depths of our subconscious and what it can involve in our auditors' lives, within our modern society.

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Development:

This movement can still be considered as a shape of counterculture, although it begins to reach such a scale that certains sponsors begun to look in this direction. But the actors of the movement, both the artists and most of the organizers remains independents, and accordingly, can enjoy a certain artistic freedom, proposing something that do not always fill the codes and requirements of the mainstream industry. And although it was a struggle to survive since the 70’s, the general public finally gets to be warned of the existence of this scene, and seems to arrive massively to enjoy its vibrations.

It seemed then interesting to me, to wonder how to encourage people to think freely with oriented lyrics and by flooding them with music this way can eventually influence lives and so the society?

To embody a model of independence and autonomy as these people do, can it push some to new thoughts ? To propose any kinds of alternatives to the dominant model and to act independently of the system as they do, can it be compared to a revolutionary act, even though it is simply a question of spreading some love and playing music?

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So i tried to seize the necessity of these artistic choices and the sacrifices which they involve with the first concerned: the artists and the promoters themselves; so that they can illustrate the values that they stand for, either through a directed music, or with committed lyrics, or by promulgating "conscious events " or simply by an attitude and sincere music, in total opposition to the star system standards.

At the risk of falling in certain stereotypes, I wish in this way to advance the necessity of having conscientious objectors who please, and who are close to younger generation, in a society like ours, more and more disconnected from the reality.

To analyze the relationship of vague opposition between underground and mainstream is also necessary checkpoint to answer questions asked higher. Does the sound system will remain underground? Why ?

Finally, I also wish to discover with scientists and with sociologists how the music reaches us and gets to mark us far beyond what we can imagine, for all our life, whatever kinds and musical tastes; and its true influence on our ways of thinking, our personal choices, and even our lifestyles, far beyond the phase of listening.

If I wish to meet scientists of the IRCAM and the INSEAD in Paris, at the forefront of the researches on the hearing perception, it is to be capable of including also, by immersing personally in the universe of sounds systems, which are the technical and sensory specificities which seem to make of this "tool" the best mean to affect directly his public (when it is properly used).

In two words, I wish to understand why whoever set foot in a sound system arena for the 1st time will be marked out for life.

In addition to this, the sociologists and the psychologists will allow us to understand, on one hand in what the methods of propaganda and submission in the authority have evolved in something more insidious that we cannot think of it. And on the other hand, to understand how the music and particularly sounds systems is adapted to fight this new shape of subjection.

In complement with artists interviews, i’ll try to explain the links weaved between music, psychology and society, for those who live it in the universe of sounds systems; and finally, for all the sincere musics. We shall see then how the music, although it is only vibrations, contributes to change perpetually the face of the world, and will continue to do so as long as there will be cause worse fighting for.

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Progress of the project :

I work on the writing of this project for more than a year and the shooting began in September, 2013. I already have several tens of hours of rushes shot in different events, festivals and studios.

I took advantage of these moments to move closer from the artists and the promoters, what allowed me to gather already more than around thirty interviews with significant personalities. The movie already exists as you can see in the teaser. And even if to have carried it until this level asked me quite a lot of efforts, time and money, i am not satisfied yet and i only ask to do more in order to finish it in the best possible conditions.

United We Stand