Wise Owl Films has been commissioned to make The Haçienda: The Club That Changed Britain (w/t) - a one hour retrospective on one of the world’s most influential clubs.
It’s 40 years since the opening of the Haçienda - the legendary Manchester nightclub and music venue which unleashed the acid house and rave scene, brought us bands like New Order, The Smiths, The Stone Roses and James and influenced the next generation of bands, including Oasis.
In this star-filled documentary, we’ll hear from the key ‘players’ in the Hacienda’s history and from club regulars. The Haçienda was at the forefront of music and youth culture in the 80s and early 90s, an iconic venue further cemented into history in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People.
This documentary will combine rare and unseen archive and first-hand testimony from those who were involved during the Haçienda’s heyday - to tell the story of how the Haçienda changed Britain and became synonymous with Manchester’s cultural history. It will also look at its enduring legacy in 2022, 25 years after the club closed its doors for the last time.
A BBC England co-commission with BBC Popular Music Television, the film is being produced and directed by Matt Drury and executive produced by Mark Robinson. The commissioning editors are Diana Hare and Dawn Payne.
Photo courtesy of Aiden O’Rourke.