Blur announce new feature-length documentary film, ‘To The End’

Blur have announced details of a new feature-length documentary film, To The End, documenting their recent reunion.

The new film, directed by Toby L, will come to UK and Irish cinemas from July 19, and tell the story of the Britpop icons getting back together for 2023 album The Ballad of Darren.

Discussing what to expect from the film, the director said: “To The End is an intimate glimpse into relationships, motivation and mortality, the sights and sounds of longterm friendship unearthing a fresh new conquest to overcome together. On the subject of capturing a band that has been so well documented, we sat down at the start of the project and agreed that the film had to tell a new story, be shot entirely on location, and crucially, be honest. In To The End, that’s what I hope people can see, and most importantly, feel.

Speaking in the film, Alex James said: “We’ve barely communicated for the last 10 years… I mean even when we really split up, it didn’t take this long to make a record, but what’s wonderful is as soon as the four of us get in a room together, it’s just exactly the same as it was when we were all 19….”

Damon Albarn added: “I don’t think any of us thought we’d make another record, especially not a record like this. I suppose that’s why I wanted to try and make it as good as possible.”

The frontman added: “We all have hugely involving and complicated lives and we’re so lucky that we get to spend this time together, just the four of us. And that’s the beauty of it…”

Watch the trailer for To The End below and find ticket information here.

In the film, Graham Coxon said of the band’s history and return: “With each other… In the nineties, it was a very intense time. On the same sort of level as a relationship, or marriages and things like that. I think it’s okay to say that time apart was taken up with other friendships and just sort of recuperating or doing other things.”

Drummer Dave Rowntree added: “The fact that we haven’t always got on, that is one of the chemistry points that has led to us being able to make the music we do. I’m absolutely convinced of it.”

Last month, Blur made headlines during a Coachella set when Albarn hit out at the band’s crowd at the festival, telling them that they would be “never seeing us again”.

During their show on the festival’s first of two weekends, Albarn tried to get the subdued crowd to sing along to their hit ‘Girls & Boys’, but faced a lacklustre response. “You can do it better than that,” he told the crowd, going on to add: “You’re never seeing us again, so you might as well fucking sing it. Know what I’m saying?”