New three-part documentary explores Berlin's nightlife and its previous five decades

A new three-part documentary series has been revealed, 'EXZESS Berlin – Haupstadt der Clubs', exploring contemporary Berlin nightlife culture and the previous five decades of its club community.

The complete series - commissioned jointly by rbb and ARD Kultur - is to be released on September 7 at the ARD Mediathek.

Its three episodes - 'The call of the night', 'The anarchy of the night', and 'The intoxication of the night' - are told from the perspectives of those who have helped to shape, and/or have lived, the city's nightlife. Those folk include Britt Kanja, co-founder of 90 Grad, Westbam, photographer Ali Kepenek, singer Zazie de Paris, DJ Jauche or Petra Schreiber, Hafenbar, dance collective ArtEmiss and DJ and producer ASA 808.

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"Participating in this documentary with our queer, feminist, and sex-positive TOYS Berlin fundraiser party is a chance to spotlight the vibrant queer community in this city that embodies diversity, awareness, and social purpose," ASA 808 tells Mixmag. "I'm excited to contribute to showcasing how these events unite celebration with meaningful change, highlighting their unique blend of inclusivity and empowerment, which you can only find in certain queer parties in Berlin."

“Berlin's club culture is legendary, a global myth," add producers Tim Evers and Lutz Pehnert. "This documentary offered the chance to tell its story from the 1970s until now – something that hasn’t been done before. We wanted to find out what makes it so unique: What is it that draws people into the night? 'Night', of course, being a very flexible term when it comes to Berlin clubs…

"It was a fascinating journey. And it’s great to see that some things never change: For decades, Berlin's club culture has been attracting young people from Germany and all over the world. People who come to party – or to find (and sometimes even lose) themselves in these clubs. They are spaces in which we can be free in a very different way.”

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'EXZESS Berlin – Hauptstadt der Clubs' is set to be released on September 7.

Niamh Ingram is Mixmag's Weekend Editor, follow her on Twitter