Inside Amplifest: March of the Gods

Heavy Metal music is, unquestionably, a product of western culture – but the anger that leads to such an extreme way of expression is universal. ‘March of the Gods’, directed by Raffaele Mosca, is a rockumentary that portrays the thriving Metal scene in Botswana, a sparsely populated, and mostly deserted, country in Southern Africa. With a focus on the story of Wurst, one of Botswana’s most popular metal bands, the film shows us how such an orthodox music style can blend with African traditions and create a microcosm full of passionate and peculiar characters.
It will be screened at Amplifest next October 5th. Meanwhile, Raffaele Mosca, the director, shared a few words with us:

What do you expect of the Amplifest audience?
I’ve never been to Portugal so I’m really looking forward to experience the festival to the fullest and to be honest with you I have no idea, I don’t know what to expect. I’m excited, it will be a new experience and that’s always a good thing.

We like surprises, but what can we expect from your film?
I hope it will challenge stereotypes, Africa is not so far away from us culturally and that’s often overlooked. That’s the main reason I shot this movie, I wanted to research and get closer to a reality I knew very little about. It has been a journey and I hope the audience will get that feeling, like they’ve travelled there and seen it with their own eyes.

What band do you really want to see at Amplifest?
I’m so curious to see Alhousseini Anivolla you have no idea, I deeply love blues. And I’ve heard lots of good things about YOB.

If you had to pick a band or a musician of this Amplifest edition to film who would it be?
I always travel with my camera and I can assure you I’m going to film the shit out of this year’s Amplifest, can’t and wont pick one.

What records have you been listening to lately?
Lately I obsessively listen to a band called High Tension from Melbourne Australia, they released a record called ‘Death Beat’, I absolutely love it.

Enough about music, Amplifest is also about other arts. What books have you been reading and what movies have you been watching lately that you want to recommend?
I’m reading a book called ‘A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates’ it was published in 1724 and contains detailed historical accounts of the most famous Pirates of the golden age of piracy. I saw a film called Enemy directed by Denis Villeneuve and it’s one of the weirdest mind benders I’ve ever seen, I really recommend it , also ‘Under The Skin’ by Jonathan Glazer. And talking about documentaries make sure you to get your hands on ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ and (even if it’s been out there for a while) ‘The Imposter’.
On a side note I would like to thank the guys from SoloMacello Fest in Milan, March Of The Gods couldn’t have been possible without their invaluable support.