He's had to find himself, and I tried to explain how he felt." No one knew that he could be that successful. But I think he didn't really know from the beginning what it means to be that successful. In the film, you see him working from literally his hospital bed. "He's the hardest working guy I've ever seen in my life. But strains become apparent almost immediately, and the two would eventually split so that Bergling could have more control over his career, and feel less pressured.Īll of this begs the question: Did Bergling want success? "Definitely," says Tsikurishvili.
#Avicii true driver#
In the film, Bergling's manager Ash Pournouri also plays a major role, as the key driver behind the business of Avicii. "That life can look exciting and glamorous on Instagram and social media, but you don't really have any idea what's going on behind that." "Young people can learn from this movie," says Tsikurishvili. A highlight: Chris Martin's vocal booth delivery, followed by a question from his producer, Bergling: "Think it's too high?" Never. It's a compelling and cautionary tale that touches on an industry's greed to cash in on the dance music craze and the pressure an artist feels when his managers and agents all-too-willingly risk health and friendship in order to keep the train rolling at maximum speed.Īvicii's "Wake Me Up" and "Levels" are two of the biggest songs of the last five years, the former logging more than 1.3 billion views on YouTube to date, and the creation of those massive hits, along with Coldplay's "A Sky Full of Stars," is chronicled through rarely seen studio footage. "Avicii: True Stories," directed by longtime Bergling friend and visual collaborator Levan Tsikurishvili, delves deep into the decision-making that goes into making such a drastic call before the age of 30, and also the star-making process from a vantage point rarely seen. It's nearly pitch black in the room, save for the glow of Bergling's Apple laptop, and one can sense the darkness in the air, too - as if the world is crying out in unison, "Why?" It's March 2016 and Tim Bergling, the real-life then-27-year-old behind the EDM moniker, is about to announce his retirement from touring after five straight years of astronomical success, but in order to make it official via a social media post, he has to inform his handlers, friends, and business associates that he's about to pull the trigger - convincing them all the while that it's just something he has to do.
#Avicii true movie#
There's a pivotal scene in " Avicii: True Stories," a new documentary about the superstar Swedish DJ and producer arriving at select movie theaters on Oct.