Synopsis
When the punk movement reached Montréal in 1977, it ignited the passions of a handful of young people who were forever changed by it. Thirty years later, some of the players from this momentous time give a surprisingly frank account of their experiences at this key period in their lives — the music and the drugs, as well as a burning need to do things differently. The film includes rare archival footage of the Montréal punk scene and features the music of the earliest local punk bands : The 222s, The Normals, The Chromosomes and The Electric Vomit.
A word from Tënk
In 45 jam-packed minutes, its frenetic rhythm a perfect mirror for its subject, MTL Punk – The First Wave offers us a deep dive into the little-known and marginal world of Montreal’s punk scene in the late 1970s. While the arrival of this music and lifestyle out of New York and London coincided with the Parti Québécois’ first years in power, our punks chose to reject the nationalist fervor of the time along with any traces of hippie culture. Alternating between stunning archival images that capture the overflowing and contagious energy of the movement and interviews from members of the Montreal scene, the documentary tells the story of undying rebellion. It reminds us of the extent to which the punk period, brought to the world stage by bands like the Sex Pistols and the Clash, transformed pop music forever, bringing it into the 1980s and leading to the emergence of New Wave.
Jean-Philippe Desrochers
Critic
