STRONGER THAN BULLETS Doc. Shows Music’s Return to Libya with Dir. Matthew Millan

STRONGER THAN BULLETS documents the resurgence of music during the Libyan revolution, which had been silenced for nearly four decades. Filmmaker Matthew Millan shares clips from the film and provides a brief history of Gaddafi and the conflict in Benghazi. Millan also discusses the countercultural explosion during and after the war, the rise of Arabic hip-hop and the bonds created through the music of Benghazi in this episode of BYOD hosted by Ondi Timoner.

Guest Bio

MATTHEW MILLAN (Director) boasts a truly unconventional background for a filmmaker. He graduated from UCSC with a Physics degree, and worked as an engineer for several years. Yet he always found this vocation wanting, so when the opportunity presented itself, he duly quit his job and co-founded 180 Films. Since then, he has built an impressive portfolio, which covers narratives, music videos and documentaries.His work has ushered him to many exotic places, from the snowy peaks of Ladakh, India to the lawless border towns of Northern Vietnam. When the uprising in Libya first erupted, he traveled there to witness the revolution firsthand. And what he saw inspired him to live in Benghazi for a year, and document its burgeoning music scene. While there, he also directed the award winning WE WIN OR WE DIE, a fast-paced short documentary about the early days of the Libyan revolution.

Amidst the bloody revolution to overthrow the tyrant Muammar Gaddafi, a music scene emerges from the dust of war, and becomes the talisman of resistance. Filmed through the months of the uprising and its chaotic aftermath, POST-REVOLUTIONARY BLUES (PRB) captures the spirit of this counterculture that exploded out of the shackles of Gaddafi’s iron-fisted rule. After 42 years of silence, Benghazi resounds with a melodic fury that manifests in a staggering variety of musical genres. PRB transcends the standard war documentary, instead shining a unique light on the Arab Spring. It is an odyssey of people finding their voices for the first time in generations.