IHEARTCOMIX hosted the Los Angeles premiere of Daft Punk’s anime film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem at the United Theater on Monday, September 30. Following the film, Collider’s Steven Weintraub moderated a panel with the film’s Director and co-writer as well as Daft Punk’s creative director Cédric Hervet and Daft Punk’s former manager, Busy P and Ed Banger founder Pedro Winter.
The one-night-only event was a special evening for Daft Punk aficionados as not only were they treated to a remastered screening of Intersella 5555 but also heard a few interesting stories from Hervet and Winter. The two were instrumental in shaping Daft Punk’s legacy, from their pioneering electronic music to their cutting-edge visual projects. The pair reflected on the creation of Interstella 5555 and provided insights into some of the creative process behind it as well as the celebrations after its premiere.
The film began to play after 8 o’clock with instant cheers from the crowd. Interstella 5555 was specially remastered in 4k and is the only way to listen to Discovery, Daft Punk’s second studio album, in Dolby 5.1 Surround. The audience danced and sang along to every track as the film progressed, including musician and comedian Reggie Watts who was seated among the crowd. The energy was bursting particularly during fan-favorite songs such as “One More Time” and “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.”
Following the film, Wintraub, Hervey and Winter took the stage. Immediately Wintraub asked if fans could expect the film to be released in 4k Blu-ray or in any format to own, Hervey quickly stated he could not speak on the topic. Hervey and Winter recollected their time working with Daft Punk. The two spoke on how the electronic duo that is Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, were very hands-on in every creative process, especially with Interstella 5555. The two also shared a story about an after-party following the premiere of the film at the Cannes Film Festival in 2003 in which people attempted to jump the walls of the venue to join the party.
Interstella 5555 was originally released in 2003 as a visual companion to Daft Punk’s sophomore album, Discovery. It was co-created with Hervet, Director Kazuhisa Takenouchi, and the anime legend Leiji Matsumoto. The 65-minute musical holds no dialogue, only the Discovery tracks and minimal sound effects. The story follows an intergalactic band who are kidnapped and shipped to Earth and transformed into humans to become mindless music slaves forced to make millions for a record label. A space pilot takes on the mission to rescue the band resulting in a bit of a sci-fi adventure. The film had never been fully released and was rarely shown in cinemas, though fans can see some of its scenes in several Daft Punk music videos.
Following the panel with Hervet and Winter, the event closed with an afterparty featuring DJ sets from Thee Mike B, Busy P also known as Pedro Winter, and The Dare. The event was the offcial kick off of celebrations for IHEARTCOMIX’s 20th Anniversary, leading to their ICH20 Ball on October 3 with special performances.
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