ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
A film about people and the records that collect them.

SYNOPSIS
There is an urgent need to paint a national portrait of record collectors. At a time where the nation is incredibly divided and our understanding of one another becomes ever distant, the thrill of searching and collecting records known as “the dig,” brings people together from completely different backgrounds and creates a powerful and unbreakable kinship.

From the record stores that are institutions in cities and towns across America to the Tik-Tok generation that post their vinyl hauls on social media, record collectors immediately identify with each other. For collectors, it is a social code— and a way of life.

Exploring themes of compulsion, loss, preservation, and community, DIG WE MUST explores the question; when does passion become obsession? What are people willing to lose on the quest to collect records? And how do records bring people together across communities and generations?

The profound act of record collecting is subversive in this unique cultural moment. It forces people to lean in with their senses from the visual appeal of art on the cover, to the weight of holding a record, and the act of listening together. Digging and listening create room for social connections that are often lost in this era.

Collecting records holds vast creative potential and community. But the stakes are high, and for some collectors, the obsession can lead to divorce, financial hardship, and tainted legacy. For others, it means finding your community and applying a soothing balm in an overstimulated world.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature

DIRECTOR Aaron Levinson
SCREENWRITER Richard Grant, Aaron Levinson
PRODUCER Natalie Jesionka, Dan Wechsler
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Chris Fralic, Irma Fralic
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Reggie Myers
IMPACT PRODUCER Christine Barilli

The Film Collaborative (TFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing programs and services for independent filmmakers. TFC’s federal tax ID number is 32-0295081. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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