Placebo is proud and pleased to announce the release of their second feature-length documentary, “This Search For Meaning.” This intimate and enlightening film explores the ideas contained within Placebo's lyrics and themes, charting their evolution as a group and as people. It is an unafraid, honest and forthright exploration of the creative process and the rock and roll lifestyle and its inevitable consequences.
Since emerging from obscurity in the 1990s with provocative songs like “Nancy Boy” and “Bruise Pristine,” Placebo has blazed a decidedly unfashionable path in the boldly macho “Britpop” scene, exploring themes such as the political establishment, the continued violation of human rights and individuality, the pervasiveness of apathy in society, and the arrogance and corruption of those in power. Placebo seemed to ask questions that no one else would dare, and challenge individuals to find the answers for themselves.
Rather than presenting a cliched origin story, Scottish award-winning filmmaker Oscar Sansom, known for pioneering music cinema, charts the band's continuing impact and legacy through a visual meditation on contemporary themes such as surveillance, culture and monitoring, sexuality and gender identity, addiction and trauma, and the climate crisis. These important and weighty themes are explored in both informal and personally written ways through brand new interviews with Brian and Stephen. Both reflective and enlightening, these interviews highlight Placebo's ongoing socio-cultural curiosity and musical journey, an exploration that continues today with chart-topping albums and sold-out arena live performances around the world.
Surrounding the band are contributions from key figures in the art world who have looked up to or been inspired by Placebo. These entertaining and often emotional discussions are presented as a single, but multifaceted, overheard conversation and include Shirley Manson (Garbage), Robbie Williams, Yungblud, Rebecca Lucy Taylor (Self Esteem), Joe Talbot (Idles) and contemporary artist Stuart Semple. The result is honest and challenging, capturing the feeling that we are all trying to find our place in the world and, hopefully, make sense of it.
The film's overall narrative is built around an incredible all-new performance of Placebo's latest song from the film Never Let Me Go, filmed at England's legendary Twickenham Film Studios, where The Beatles can be seen writing the new album for Peter Jackson's film Get Back, and is interspersed with archival footage of the band and exclusive, never-before-seen material spanning their career, including their creative and personal collaborations with David Bowie and his lasting influence.