Virginia Film Festival

Preeminent indie director Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell, Listen up Phillip) captures the story of the one most important bands of the 90s, Pavement. Instead of playing out a simple score, Perry blends elements of Hollywood biopic, Off-Broadway jukebox musical, and pop-up museum exhibition to create an alternate reality of the cult-favorite band’s past and present as they prepare for a 2022 reunion tour. The film combines interviews, rehearsals, and behind-the-scenes footage with a movie-within-the-movie that features memorable performances from Stranger Things star Joe Keery and Jason Schwartzman, among others.

The film and the band have a unique connection to Charlottesville; Pavement members Steven Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich met while students at the University of Virginia, where they were DJs for the radio station WTJU. After meeting fellow WTJU DJs James McNew and David Berman, the group formed a lo-fi indie band Ectoslavia. McNew went on to become bassist for Yo La Tengo, and Berman went on to start Silver Jews with Malkmus and Nastanovich.

Discussion with director Alex Ross Perry.