Thunderdome Never Dies (2019)

Directed by: Ted Alkemade, Vera Holland | 80 minutes | documentary

A graduation party that got out of hand and started a true revolution in the 90s: Thunderdome grew into a house phenomenon and puts the Netherlands on the world map as a leader in the dance scene. ‘Thunderdome Never Dies’ looks back at the origins of Thunderdome and the years of unprecedented success, but also looks at the difficult periods and how the last edition in 2012 will be followed up with an overwhelming comeback in 2017.

ID&T founders Duncan Stutterheim and Irfan van Ewijk, among others, tell the story from start to finish at lightning speed. It seems like a childhood dream how the friends manage to get their parties in increasingly larger locations throughout the Netherlands. We see some images of early editions of Thunderdome and fans, real gabbers, also have their say. In addition, the camera is there when ‘The Dreamteam’ gets together again after years to reminisce; DJs The Prophet, Dano, Buzz Fuzz and Gizmo performed together and saw the parties bursting at the seams.

In less than an hour and a half, the film races through 20 years of Thunderdome, but that doesn’t seem like enough time to clearly and structured the story. Too much has happened and a number of sensitive topics, such as excessive drug use and the rise of the extreme right, are barely addressed. Instead, the makers film a number of boring moments in the run-up to the next event, such as meetings. Nevertheless, the film will bring back warm memories for fans and (former) gabbers. For the outsiders, ‘Thunderdome Never Dies’ offers a glimpse into a unique world.