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The Secret Disco Revolution is a Canadian feature-length documentary about the history of disco. Created from interviews with the majority of the people that made it big in the genre (Thelma Huston, Gloria Gaynor, The Village People and more), the film crafts a thesis that disco was actually an anthem for change, not only spreading the news about it, but being the agent of change itself.

There has always been a stigma surrounding those who enjoy popular music. For those who are music fans, but prefer the lighter side of the art form, The Secret Disco Revolution provides a good argument that it’s not a crap as you think it is.

The story, like the genre, is punctuated with campy cut scenes of the “architects” of the disco movement ““ three glammed up actors who stalk through the streets of Toronto laying the foundation for the socio-political movement that was disco music. These border on cringe-worthy, but are put forth in good fun so just go with it.

The film highlights some pretty important benchmarks in music that wouldn’t have happened without this particular musical genre, such as the power shift from radio to the DJ, cover art and mass marketing musicians as a product. The film is well researched and puts forth cogent arguments to support their thesis, which is much more than you can ask from a doc about disco.

Is The Secret Disco Revolution Essential TIFF Viewing?

The Secret Disco Revolution won’t shake your world, but it will leave you happy and toe-tapping ““ and reaching for your vinyl. And maybe, just maybe, you can even do that in public now. Yes, this is essential TIFF viewing for fans of the genre, or good times in general.

The Secret Disco Revolution Screening Times

• Saturday, September 8 at Scotiabank 3 9:45 PM, and
• Thursday, September 13 at The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema at 3:00 PM

More About This Movie

The Secret Disco Revolution Trailer

The Secret Disco Revolution Production Gallery

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Trista DeVries

Like most people who write for the web, I’ve been obsessed with movies since I was very young. My favourite movies are The Social Network, Easy A and Garden State, but I try to spend my time broadening my film horizons. I’m the Publisher of Toronto Film Scene and I Heart Movies, and in my “spare” time, I’m a web designer and strategist. (Gotta support my movie habit somehow…)

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