Well Balearic

A Short Film About Chilling was made in 1990 for Channel 4 in the UK. It was the first film to delve into the Ibiza scene growing up around British DJ’s, promoters and club goers heading to the island each summer. The cosmopolitan mix of people and stunning beauty will surprise anyone who just knows the package holiday excess that Ibiza later became famous for. This is a very different Ibiza.

Referencing Krzysztof Kieslowski’s morality play in its choice of title is about as dark and probing as the film gets, being a snapshot of the hedonism of Ibiza before the hordes filled the clubs, a magical place where anything seems possible. Much like The Streets, Weak Become Heroes the hopes and dreams of a scene in its infancy are captured. The film shows a time when anything seems possible, the idea that with good vibes, one nation under a groove and strong MDMA the world will be a better place. If it seems to be a bunch of cockney chancers, scousers and mancs taking over the island that’s because it probably was, it must have been a golden time for the Balearic scene with enough British promoters and clubbers to feel like a home from home but before most of the 18-30 bunch would venture outside of San Antonio. It’s “Disneyland for the club goer” as someone remarks.

The film has a fantastic soundtrack with live performances by 808 State, The Farm and A Man Called Adam. The mix of Balearic with acid house that had so impressed the first wave of British clubbers to visit Ibiza had now inspired the indie dance hybrid of Primal Scream, St Etienne etc. and the remixes of DJ/Producers such as Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley. To the first time visitor to Ibiza the island is probably still as magical and im sure if you look for it some of the island seen in a Short Film About Chilling still exists. As the film ends to the uplifting sounds of Primal Scream’s classic track Come Together accompanied by a beautiful sunset the last interviewee tells us “everything is good here”

Apologies for the bad quality video and sync problems.


A Short Film About Chilling


Primal Scream-Come Together


Primal Scream's Screamadelica at Amazon