MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE

description

Out of the underground dance clubs on the South Side of Chicago, a group of friends turn a new sound into a global movement.

In the chaos of Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, a teenage usher named Vince Lawrence witnessed the fiery backlash against disco—a sound that defined freedom and pride. Undeterred by the hostility, Vince used his earnings to buy a synthesizer, setting in motion a journey that would change music forever. Venturing into the underground sanctuary of The Warehouse, where Frankie Knuckles spun revolutionary sounds, Vince teamed up with Jesse Saunders to form Z Factor, a scrappy collective of visionaries who captured the pulse of Chicago’s underground on wax. Their track, On and On, became the first recorded house music anthem, sparking a movement that transformed a local DIY culture into a global phenomenon. From those gritty Chicago streets to festival stages worldwide, Vince’s story is an electrifying testament to how a dream, born in the ashes of rejection, ignited a genre that continues to unite and liberate people across the globe.

Courtesy of our community partners at the National Music Centre (NMC), MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE ticketholders will receive a 20% discount on Studio Bell admission during the festival (April 17-27), which will allow you to explore NMC's synth collection. Share your ticket stub when buying in person or use the promo code HOUSE20 if buying online.

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Sundance Film Festival 2025

DIRECTOR'S BIO
Elegance Bratton is an award-winning and boundary-breaking director, writer and producer. He began making films as a US Marine after spending a decade homeless. His work captures stories untold with an intention to show the universal power of our shared humanity. Bratton’s films have played in over 200 film festivals worldwide including the New York Film Festival, Toronto, Sundance, Outfest, BFI, Doc NYC, and the BlackStar Film Festival. He was recently named one of Variet's 10 Directors to Watch for 2023.